JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps College baseball team cruised past No. 8 Belhaven University, beating the Blazers 14-7 in the opening game of the Cowboy Maloney Series on Tuesday night at Twenty Field. 
 
The win doubled as the Majors' first top-10 win since April 1, 2023. It was also  
 
Sophomore Wes Carr delivered a strong performance, scoring two runs and adding two RBIs with a home run, while also drawing two walks. 
 
Classmate Carston Williams contributed significantly by scoring two runs, recording two hits, and driving four runs with a home run. 
 
Junior Wesley Grant scored three runs and collected two hits, including a double, demonstrating effective plate discipline with one walk. 
 
Senior Layne Cross showed consistency with three hits and one RBI, adding two runs and a stolen base to his stat line. 
 
Classmate EJ Ousley recorded one run, hit, RBI, walk, stolen base and a hit by pitch against the Blazers. 
 
Senior Ryan Laiche pitched 4.0 innings on the mound where he recorded four strikeouts and allowed one run to become the winning pitcher.  
 
Senior Sam Thomas started the night off on top of the hill with a strong performance against the Blazers. He pitched 2.0 innings striking out one batter and allowed just one run. 
 
Freshman Carter Guillory closed out the ninth inning with one strikeout, while only allowing one solo home run. 
 
Millsaps capitalized in the fourth inning with a five-run burst, highlighted by two home runs, to establish a commanding lead. 
 
Belhaven opened the Cowboy Maloney Series on Tuesday night with a single to the right side, scoring a run and taking an early 1–0 lead. 
 
Williams stole a base in the bottom of the second for Millsaps, but the Blazers responded in the top of the third, scoring four runs on four hits to extend their lead to 5–0. 
 
In the bottom of the third, Cross led off the inning with a single to reach first base, giving Millsaps some momentum. 
 
Moments later, Grant doubled to right field, sending Cross to third; Grant then advanced to third base on a wild pitch, and Cross came home on a wild pitch to score the Majors. 
 
Locked in, Williams hit a two-run homer to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 5–3. 
 
Millsaps stayed hot in the bottom of the fourth, with Carr launching a home run to the same spot as Williams, bringing the Majors back in, down by one, to electrify the contest. 
 
Continuing their offensive push, the Majors saw Cross double down the left-field line, driving in a run to knot the game at 5–5 
 
After the impressive comeback by the Majors, Belhaven made a pitching change. 
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Ousley stole third, Cross stole second, and Grant advanced to first on a walk, loading the bases. 
 
Williams delivered in a big way, singling to center to bring home Ousley and Cross, as Millsaps erupted for its first lead of the game, 7–5. 
 
Sophomore Kyle Veal Jr. then stepped up to the plate and sent a hit to right field, bringing Grant home from third to extend the Majors' lead to 8–5. 
 
In the top of the fifth, Belhaven opened the inning with three consecutive singles, and a fielder's choice brought a run home as the Blazers answered back to make it 8–6.  
 
In the top of the sixth, the Majors shut down the Blazers with a 4-6-3 ground-ball double play to keep them off the scoreboard. 
 
Millsaps continued to pressure the Blazers in the bottom of the sixth, using two walks to bring in Grant and Veal Jr. and stretch the lead to 10–6. 
 
In the top of the eighth, the Majors held the Blazers to one hit and no runs, as Laiche closed the inning with two consecutive strikeouts. 
 
The Blazers continued to stumble as freshman Hudson Moberly singled to left field, allowing Williams to come around and score, extending the Majors' lead to 11–6 in the bottom of the inning. 
 
Moments later, Veal Jr. raced home on a wild pitch, beating the catcher at the plate to push the lead to 12–6. 
 
Morgan drew a walk, and Moberly later crossed the plate, pushing the Majors' advantage to 13–6 against the Blazers. 
 
Ousley singled to left field, driving in another run to give the Majors an eight-run lead. 
The Blazers finally responded in the top of the ninth with a home run, but Ousley recorded the final out unassisted as the Majors defeated Belhaven, 14–7, on Tuesday in Game One of the Cowboy Maloney Series. 
 
The Majors next host No. 14 Centre College for a three-game series, beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday. Live video and live stats 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.