JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps baseball team split their Southern Athletic Association opener hosting Rhodes College at Twenty Field on Saturday. The Majors claimed the first game, 6-4 and fell, 10-4 in seven innings in the second game.

Game 1: 6-4, W

Sophomore Stewart Bonnecaze, senior Clay Busby and redshirt sophomore Will Norris each threw three innings in Game One.

Bonnecaze allowed three earned runs, five hits and walked four while striking out two batters. Busby allowed one run, three hits and walked one Lynx. Norris secured the win with three scoreless innings allowing three walks and one hit, while striking out four batters.

Junior Bradley Pelle doubled, walked and scored twice. Freshman Degan Hensley tallied a hit, two RBIs and walked, while junior Evan Scott batted 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

The Lynx jumped out of the box with one run in the first, second and third innings for a 3-0 lead. Rhodes added another in the fifth to build a 4-0 advantage, but Millsaps would battle back from there.

Scott got the Major scoring started with a single through the left side in the sixth. A throwing error on the Lynx left fielder brought graduate Branyan Bounds home. A couple batters later, a wild pitch allowed Pelle to race home from third.

The Majors recorded two more runs when Hensley singled up the middle and plated Scott and senior Jackson Ware.

Each team would remain tied until Millsaps clawed two runs across in the bottom of the eighth. Pelle opened the inning with a double and would score the go-ahead run moments later on a Scott single. Senior Case Page then singled to push Scott over to third. Ware then reached on fielder's choice with a sacrifice bunt attempt, which enabled Scott to race home for a 6-4 lead.

Norris allowed one base runner in the ninth but closed the door with three strikeouts looking to hold the win in Game One.

Game 2: 10-4, L (7 innings)

Rhodes (7-7, 2-3 SAA) utilized a bunt-first strategy to open Game Two and evened the series with a 10-4 decision in seven innings. Graduate Wil Wood allowed each run, but struck out eight batters with one walk against. He holds an NCAA DIII best 51 strikeouts on the season.

Senior Graham Harrison (2.0 IP) walked three Lynx, but went scoreless with only one hit against. Sophomore Taylor Lowe allowed one hit in the ninth, while striking out three batters in relief.

Ware batted 2-of-2 with an RBI and walk. Scott (run scored), junior Gray Berry (walk) and sophomore EJ Ousley each posted a hit and RBI in Game Two.

The Lynx used three bunt singles and five total singles in the opening inning to build a 2-0 margin. Ware caught a fly out and threw to home plate for a key early double play to stop the threat.

Millsaps (11-5, 1-1 SAA) responded with four runs in bottom of the first when Scott singled home Bounds, Ware tied the game with a bases-loaded walk, Ousley generated an RBI sacrifice fly and Berry double down the left-field line.

However, Rhodes added four runs of their own in the top of the second frame with the help of five additional singles, a steal and throwing error.

The Lynx added four additional tallies in the fourth with a fielder's choice play and a three-run home run over the left-field fence. Each team would be held off the scoreboard from there for a 10-4 Lynx decision.

Millsaps and Rhodes will face off in the deciding game at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Live video and live stats will be available at gomajors.com.


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