JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps baseball team secured two of three wins over Edgewood during a weekend series at Twenty Field, Friday through Sunday.

Game 1: 3-2, W

Graduate Wil Wood was sensational setting a career-high with 14 strikeouts in six innings pitched. The Memphis, Tenn., product only gave up four hits, two runs and yielded zero walks on the mound.

Sophomore Ryan Laiche pitched the final three innings to earn the win and shut down the Eagles with five strikeouts while not allowing a hit or run. Laiche only walked one batter.

Sophomore EJ Ousley batted 2-for-4 with one run scored, a double and stole a base, while senior Jackson Ware went 3-for-4 with a stolen base. Graduate Branyan Bounds added an RBI, two walks and a hit by pitch.

Edgewood took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning following three hits to open the game. Wood would collect himself and strikeout three of the final four batters to end the early threat.

Millsaps immediately answered in the bottom of the innings with Bounds scoring on a throwing error. Junior Gray Berry reached on the throwing error and eventually scored tying the game following a walk, passed ball and senior Case Page RBI groundout.

Both teams would remain scoreless until the bottom of the eighth when Millsaps loaded the bases with back-to-back hits and an intentional walk. A Bounds sacrifice fly to left field scored Ousley for the go-ahead tally.

Laiche closed the door on the Eagles in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts and groundout to Ousley at shortstop. Millsaps battled back for the 3-2 win in Game One and combined for 19 strikeouts.

Game 2: 7-6, L

The Majors fell in an intense Game Two matchup that nearly saw the Majors come from behind an 5-0 deficit and fight against eight errors.

Redshirt sophomore Will Norris stood out in relief with 5.1 IP while allowing only two hits, three unearned runs and threw three strikeouts.

Junior Evan Scott batted 2-for-4 with a walk, run scored and stolen base. Bounds recorded a two-RBI hit, a walk and stole a base, while Ware posted a hit, scored twice and collected a stolen base.

Edgewood scored first in the opening inning with a walk and pair of hits. The Eagles would add two more runs in the third inning following by a duo of errors coupled with a pair of hits and a walk. The visitors built a 5-0 margin with a run in the fourth and run in the sixth.

Millsaps found offensive energy in the bottom of the sixth and garnered four runs. The first run was plated with the bases loaded and Page took a hit by pitch.

The Majors would continue to add tallies when an error brought Berry to the plate. The Majors finished strong with sophomore Mason Morgan scoring Scott on a fielder's choice and later a Bounds bases-loaded walk.

In the top of the eighth, the Eagles constructed a 6-4 lead following a hit by pitch and pair of errors. Millsaps would make a comeback in the bottom of the inning as an Edgewood balk brought home Ware with the bases loaded.

On the next play, Bounds utilized a sacrifice fly to right field to score Morgan to tie the game at 6-6. However, two more errors proved costly and gave Edgewood a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth. Edgewood closed out the game with three straight outs in the bottom of the ninth to even the series.

Game 3: 7-5, W

Junior Nick Tarantino pitched six quality innings for the win, allowing just one run with five strikeouts, two walks and five hits against. Senior Jackson Hood tallied his second save of the season with a single hit, run and walk allowed in the ninth.

Bounds finished 2-for-3 at bat with two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base. Ware tallied a two-run homer, two hits, scored a run and stole a base. Scott recorded a three-run home run and added a run scored, walk, steal and hit by pitch.

Millsaps took charge in the bottom of the first inning as Page singled up the middle to bring Bounds home. Ware would then blast a two-run homer to plate Ousley and move the Majors ahead, 3-0.

The Majors continued to dominate home plate in the bottom of the fourth when Scott sent a three-run shot over the left-field fence to score junior Bradley Pelle and Bounds to push the Majors ahead, 6-0.

Graduate catcher Robert Vassallo then scored on a Pelle sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it a 7-0 Millsaps advantage.

Edgewood would score their first run in the top of the top of the sixth and three runs in the top of the eighth to make it 7-4.

The Majors held on in the top of the ninth as the Eagles added a fifth run, but were stalled with two pop flies and Vassallo throwing at a runner at third on a steal attempt.

Millsaps will be back in action on Tuesday to face MUW, beginning at 5 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at gomajors.com.


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