JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps baseball team delivered a balanced effort, propelling them to a 7-3 victory over the Stevens Institute of Technology at Twenty Field on Tuesday.
Junior EJ Ousley tied a career-high four hits against the Ducks, while recording a run, an RBI, and a double.
Senior Bradley Pelle (two RBIs, run, double, walk), graduate David Abbadessa (two runs, RBI) and senior Gray Berry (two runs, RBI, double) each recorded two hits.
Graduate Jackson Hood (run, hit, two walks) and freshman Fred Fields (no hits, zero runs, two strikeouts) both pitched in two innings for the Majors.
Graduate Will Cook, junior Sam Thomas, freshman Cam Cressend (three strikeouts), graduate Clay Busby and freshman Luke Hamblen all pitched one inning on the Mound for the Majors to shut down the Ducks.
The Majors utilized a platoon of seven pitchers who combined for eight strikeouts. Millsaps (14-5) also totaled 13 hits on the evening.
In the top of the second inning, Stevens scored on a wild pitch to take an early 1-0 lead.
However, Millsaps took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to tie the contest at 1-1 after Abbadessa reached first base on a bases-loaded fielder's choice to score graduate Jackson Ware.
Moments later, Millsaps took their first lead of the contest after a powerful double down the left line by Berry, which allowed Abbadessa to score.
After taking the first advantage of the matchup, Millsaps then extended their margin to 3-1 with a single up the middle by Pelle that sent Berry toward home plate.
In the bottom of the fourth frame, Millsaps continued to heat up with four additional runs.
Abbadessa led the inning off with a single up the middle. Berry stepped into the batter's box and hit a single to right center to keep the team effort going.
Pelle continued the momentum for the Majors with a double to right center to send Abbadessa home, pushing Millsaps' advantage to 4-1.
Following great hits by Abbadessa, Berry and Pelle, Scott then grounded out to the Ducks third baseman, allowing Berry to score with an RBI to increase Millsaps margin to 5-1.
Moments later, Stevens fell behind 6-1 after Ousley hit a double to right field, allowing Pelle to come home from third base.
Ware concluded the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly to score Ousley on an unearned run, which completed the final scoring for the Majors.
The Ducks finally responded in the top of the fifth inning, narrowing the contest to a 7-3 lead with a two-run home run.
As the contest continued, Millsaps brushed off the Ducks' home run to stay focused.
After a leadoff walk, Cressend settled in striking out the next three batters on 11 pitches.
Berry and Abbadessa later teamed up in the top of the ninth inning with a line-drive double play to stop the Ducks offense from scoring once again.
Hamblen stepped on the mound in the final inning and struckout the last Stevens batter to help the Majors to take down the Ducks, 7-3 on Tuesday.
The Majors will be back in action on Friday to face Hendrix in conference action, beginning at 5 p.m. in Jackson, Miss. Live video and live stats will be available at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College baseball program follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
