LAGRANGE Ga. – The Millsaps softball team posted a dominant road performance at the LaGrange College Softball Field on Saturday. The Majors bested the Panthers, 12-3 in five innings in Game One and closed with a 10-2 triumph in Game Two.
Millsaps (7-4) totaled 16 hits in the opener and closed the day with 15 more hits in the second contest.
Game 1, W: Millsaps 12, LaGrange 3 (5 inn.)
Senior Alli Nolen batted 3-for-3, while contesting two runs, two RBIs, a pair of stolen bases and walked once in Game One.
Freshman Hailey Petterson went 3-for-4, recording her first collegiate home run. The Metairie, La., native also recorded a trio of runs and three RBIs.
Sophomore Allana Vasquez also batted 3-for-4 against the Panthers, she registered two runs, one RBI and a double.
The Udine, Italy., product also pitched all five innings of the run-rule shortened game in the circle. She struck out five batters while allowing three runs and one walk with an impressive low of 33 pitches.
Freshman Kodi Jimmie batted 2-for-4 with one run, an RBI, alongside a stolen base.
Classmate Kirsten Gilchrist went 2-for-3 and added a run. Freshman Brynn Arena (walk, stolen base) and sophomore Kadence Cannon both recorded a hit and an RBI.
Sophomore Ella Morgan Sears recorded three runs, a triple, walk and stole a base.
Sears tripled to right field to open the game and later scored on a throwing error to give Millsaps a 1-0 lead.
Moments later, a single up the middle by Nolen sent Peterson home, expanding the Majors margin to 2-0.
The Panthers would fall behind 3-0 after a single to left field by Arena sent Vasquez toward home plate.
Nolen then stole home base on a double steal to expand the Majors' lead to 4-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, Millsaps remained on a hot streak after Peterson sent her first collegiate home run over the left-field fence that scored Sears as well.
LaGrange scored their first run of the afternoon in the bottom of the fourth.
After recording her first home run of the season earlier, Peterson singled to center field to score Gilchrist, moving the Majors further ahead to 7-1 in the fifth inning.
Vasquez then singled to left field to send Sears off third base to score.
Millsaps continued their groove as Jimmie knocked a single into right field, sending Peterson home and extending the Major advantage to 9-1.
Nolen kept the rhythm going for the Majors with a single up the middle, pushing Vasquez toward home plate.
Jimmie followed by stealing home plate on another double steal to further put the contest out of reach at 11-1.
A single by Cannon gave the Majors their last run of the contest. In the top of the fifth inning, Millsaps contested six runs and a half dozen hits.
LaGrange answered with two runs and three hits in the bottom of the fifth, but it was not enough to make a comeback. The run-rule was put in play as the Majors triumphed, 12-3.
Game 2, W: Millsaps 10, LaGrange 2
Arena batted a perfect 3-for-3 while recording one walk, a double, an RBI and scored a run. Peterson finished 3-for-4 with one RBI, two runs, a walk and a double.
Peterson pitched a complete seven innings where she struck out three batters, allowing no earned runs, one walk, five hits and two runs.
Nolen finished 2-for-4 in hitting with two runs. Vasquez (two RBIs, triple) and Sears (four RBIs, two doubles) both added two hits against the Panthers in Game Two.
Jimmie (RBI) and Gilchrist (run) each recorded a hit as well. Additionally, Cannon singled, scored twice and was hit by a pitch.
After a great performance in Game One, Jimmie opened Game Two with an RBI for the Majors with a single through the left side to send Peterson home.
The Majors responded again in the top of the second inning after Sears doubled down the left line to score freshman Ava Palumbo and Arena to push the team ahead to 3-0.
Playing extremely well, Arena then doubled down the right line to score Nolen in the top of the third inning to help the Majors surpass the Panthers, 4-0.
Millsaps continued to add offensive pressure in the top of the fourth inning as Vasquez tripled to right center sending both Peterson and Cannon home.
The Panthers finally answered in the bottom of the fourth, trailing behind 6-2.
Millsaps attacked the Panthers once more in the top of the seventh inning. Smith reached first base on a fielder's choice, bringing Nolen around to score and furthering the margin to 7-2.
Sears kept the fire going for the Majors with a double to left field that scored both Cannon and Smith.
Stretching the team lead to 10-2, Peterson singled and advanced on the throw to bring Gilchrist home.
Peterson then allowed zero hits off two fly outs and a pop up in the bottom of the seventh inning to help Millsaps triumph over the Panthers.
The Majors will face Wesleyan College in a doubleheader series, beginning at 4:30 p.m. CT on Monday. Live video and live stats will be available at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College softball 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.
