DANVILLE, Ky. – The Millsaps baseball team held No. 1 seed Centre in check but fell, 4-3 in the opening game of the SAA Tournament at Gary Wright Baseball Field at Fishman Park on Friday.
Junior Evan Scott batted 2-for-4 with an RBI, while graduate Branyan Bounds finished 2-for-5 with an RBI double and run scored against the Colonels.
Graduate Wil Wood was valiant tossing 115 pitches in six innings, while striking out three batters. He held the high-powered Colonel attack to three runs, three walks and seven hits.
Redshirt sophomore Will Norris pitched the final two innings defensively with one strikeout, while allowing a run, a walk and hit against.
The Majors opened the first inning in great position as a single to left field by Scott would send Bounds home to put the Majors in charge early.
Moments later Page used a sacrifice bunt to help junior Bradley Pelle score and put Millsaps out front, 2-0.
Millsaps would continue to start strong in the top of the second inning with a double down the left-field line from Bounds, scoring senior Jackson Ware from second base.
A crucial play happened in the top of third when Scott nearly reached home as a Major was thrown out at third base with two outs seconds before the run was recorded.
Defense continued to be on display when the Majors caught the Colonels in a double play in the fourth inning.
However, Centre would battle back in the bottom of the sixth inning with its first run of the game. With runners on the corners, the Colonels would then make use of a designed double steal to narrow the deficit to 3-2.
The Colonels, not going down without a fight, opened the bottom of the seventh with a lead-off double and drew the game even with an ensuing single.
Centre put runners on the corners again and used a sacrifice bunt to grab their first lead at 4-3 in the seventh.
The Majors would have a shot to make a comeback in the eighth, but a Millsaps pinch runner was caught stealing. Millsaps continued into the ninth down one, but two strikeouts and a line out would end the game in favor of the Colonels.
Millsaps will be back in action on Saturday and look to win two games to keep its season alive, beginning at 11 a.m. CT. An if-necessary Game Three is scheduled to immediately follow at approximately 2 p.m. CT. Live video and live stats will be provided at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps baseball program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
