JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps baseball team (14-20, 4-13 SAA) split with Berry College (24-11, 10-7 SAA), falling 17-6 in Game One before battling back for an exciting, 5-4 win in seven innings in Game Two at Twenty Field on Saturday.
Game 1: 17-6, L
Junior Evan Scott finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while graduate Branyan Bounds recorded a hit, two runs and walked in Game One.
The Vikings struck first for two runs in the top of the first. A sensational relay throw by junior Bradley Pelle to classmate Gray Berry thwarted a third Viking from scoring with a nice tag at home.
Millsaps would rally to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the frame. Bounds began with a single and was plated by an electric Gray Berry triple after the Viking center fielder slipped and fell. Scott then smacked a ball off the left-field fence for an RBI double and knotted up the contest early.
However, the Vikings launched off with five runs in the second and added another on a sacrifice fly in the third to build an 8-2 advantage. The Majors cut the deficit to 8-4 in the bottom of the third courtesy of senior Jackson Ware and sophomore Mason Morgan bases-loaded walks.
The visitors added two more tallies in the fourth. A great 4-6-3 double play in the top of the sixth later kept Berry off the scoreboard for further damage. However, the Vikings did tack on four runs in the top of the eighth to create a 14-4 margin.
The Majors would extend the game with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Junior Zac Farris forced a bases-loaded walk and sophomore Johnny Morreale singled home freshman Wes Grant from third in an inning of several pinch hitters.
Berry scored three more runs in the top of the ninth for the final 17-6 decision.
Game: 5-4, W (7 inn.)
Graduate Wil Wood posted another quality outing with 6.1 IP and five strikeouts. He held a strong Viking off to seven hits, five walks and four runs.
Redshirt sophomore Will Norris earned the save with a strikeout and two walks in the final 0.2 innings of the contest.
Pelle was solid going 3-for-4 with a run, double and stolen base, while Bounds batted 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a stolen base.
Gray Berry (RBI, stolen base, HBP) and graduate Robert Vassallo (run scored) each ended the rematch 2-for-3.
Millsaps threatened in the first with two runners on, but the Vikings forced two strikeouts to close the chance. The Majors would break through in the second when Bounds singled to left and scored Vassallo and sophomore EJ Ousley with two outs. A throw to home on the next play ended the inning for the Major offense.
Berry responded with three runs in the third and held the Majors in the bottom of the frame with three fly outs despite totaling two singles.
The Vikings added a run to make it a 4-2 game in the fifth. A throw by senior second baseman David Abbadessa to home kept the deficit to two runs. Wood followed with a strikeout and forced a force out to end the inning.
Pelle led off the bottom of the same frame with a double and Gray Berry followed with a hit by pitch. A double steal put both runners in scoring position, which was followed by a Scott sacrifice fly to pull the Majors to a 4-3 hole.
The Majors regained a 5-4 edge in the bottom of the sixth. Vassallo singled to began the inning and pinch runner Grant reached third. Bounds singled home Grant before Gray Berry later singled around Abbadessa for the fifth tally.
Bounds opened the seventh with a great catch bouncing off the left-field wall. Norris entered and walked the first two he faced, but fight back with a strikeout looking and game-ending force out.
Millsaps concludes the series in Game Three with Berry, beginning at 12:10 p.m. on Sunday. Senior Day will be celebrated prior to first pitch at approximately 11:45 a.m. with live video and live stats available at gomajors.com.
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