JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps softball team brushed off Centre in a doubleheader with 5-1 and 4-3 victories at the Millsaps College Softball Complex on Friday.
Game 1: 5-1, W
Senior Molli Perry walked, stole a base, tallied a hit and scored two runs in Game One. Classmate Katie Norris batted 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a double.
Freshman Allana Vasquez finished 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, run and walk in the victory. She also stood tall in the circle, tossing seven complete innings with four strikeouts. Vasquez held the Colonels to zero earned runs, three walks and five hits.
In the bottom of the first inning, Norris singled to left field and scored Perry, who raced home from second.
Centre, however, would make a way in the top of the third inning to tie the game 1-1 following a bases-loaded fielder's choice. The Majors would hold steady on the next play when Vasquez tossed a slow roller back to senior catcher Haylie Hoffpauir, applying a tag at the plate.
Millsaps regained the lead in the fourth when Norris singled from third junior Allie Nolen. Freshman Kinsey Smith provided a sacrifice fly to plate Vasquez one batter later, giving Millsaps a 3-1 cushion.
Hoffpauir then tripled with one out in the fifth down the right-field line. Perry would walk and Hoffpauir stole home during the play with the Colonel defense not paying attention. Perry reached second in the confusion and was batted home by Vasquez with a single to left field.
Down 5-1 in bottom of the seventh, Centre doubled to right field and walked, but a foul out and strikeout swinging would finalize the game in favor of the Majors.
Game 2: 4-3, W (9 inn.)
Freshman Mya Skinner was outstanding and went the distance with nine innings pitched. She set a career-best seven strikeouts and held Centre to three earned runs. She kept the Colonels to four hits and eight walks.
Norris finished Game Two with a pair of hits (2-for-3), a run scored and a walk. Smith tallied a crucial two-run home run and added two walks. Vasquez (one walk) provided magic with an RBI double in the ninth for the walk-off win.
Centre loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first and scored twice. The damage was limited with a foul out, fly out and strikeout swinging.
In the bottom of the second, Millsaps tied up the contest at 2-2 with one swing of the bat when Smith homered to center field and brought home Norris from first base.
Centre would go back ahead in the top of third at 3-2 with a pair of walks, fielder's choice and RBI double.
Needing to find a spark in the late innings, the Majors came alive in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Kadence Cannon and Norris singled with one out. Smith then walked to load the bases and senior Camille Black ensured an RBI sacrifice fly would bring home Cannon, tying the contest at 3-3.
Centre survived a double-play line out in the eighth, but could not keep the Majors from overtaking in the ninth. Skinner began the bottom of the ninth with a walk. Sophomore Tayler Gonzales pinch ran and was advanced over to third with a sacrifice bunt and ground out. A couple batters later, Vasquez clubbed the ball into left field and secured a thrilling 4-3 victory for the Friday sweep.
The Majors will be back in action Saturday to wrap up the series against Centre, beginning at 12 p.m. Live video and live stats will be available at gomajors.com.
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