BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Millsaps softball team put in a great effort in the opening game of the 2024 SAA Softball Championship but were bested, 5-4 by No. 3 seed Rhodes at the Birmingham-Southern Softball Park on Friday.
Senior Camille Black batted 2-for-3, walked and scored two runs, while freshman Kadence Cannon recorded a 2-for-4 afternoon with an RBI and stolen base.
Senior Katie Norris tallied a double, scored a run and walked. Sophomore Kinsey Smith registered a hit and two RBIs, while freshman Allana Vasquez scored a run and was hit by two pitches against the Lynx.
Senior Brianna Newman (one strikeout) pitched four innings of relief, while only allowing three hits, no earned runs and no walks.
Millsaps, playing as the No. 5 seed, opened the contest by loading the bases. Smith brought Camille Black home with a sacrifice fly. Cannon then singled in Norris with a hit to right to field.
The Majors would go up 3-0 in the same inning as freshman Madeline Black utilized a sacrifice fly to score Vasquez.
In the bottom of the first inning, Rhodes would answer with two runs. The Lynx would then tally two additional runs in the second to create a 4-3 advantage.
The pitching intensified for both teams until Cannon led off the fourth with a double. Rhodes would escape with back-to-back force outs and a fly out.
Rhodes added a run in the bottom of the fourth for its fifth run. Millsaps put two runners on in the fifth with two outs but were stopped with an inning-ending fly out.
The Majors continued to battle back after loading the bases with one out in the seventh. Smith followed with an RBI single, which brought Camille Black to the plate and cut the deficit to 5-4. The Lynx held on with a fly out and pop out with the bases loaded to claim the game by the same score.
Millsaps will be back in action against No. 7 seed Hendrix in an elimination game, beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Another elimination game will follow at 5 p.m. in Birmingham, Ala. Live video and live stats will be available at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps softball program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
