JACKSON, Miss. — The Millsaps College baseball team ended their weekend with a well-deserved series win over No. 14 Centre College. The Majors topped the Colonels 6-5 in Game One, and battled to 10 innings in Game Two to secure a 7-6 victory at Twenty Field on Saturday.
GAME 1: Millsaps 6 Centre 5, W
Sophomore Carston Williams put on a powerful offensive display, launching a home run, driving in three runners, and crossing the plate twice.
Junior Wesley Grant displayed his speed, stealing two bases and crossing the plate twice.
Senior EJ Ousley contributed a hit and an RBI, and he added a run to his efforts.
Freshman Jackson Woolley earned the win and shut the door in 4.2 innings of relief. He held the Colonels to one run and two walks against five hits. The Missouri City, Texas, product added a strikeout.
In the bottom of the first inning, Grant stole second and third base to get Majors' Day started.
Shortly afterward, senior Mason Morgan stepped up to the plate, blasting a hit to right field to bring Grant home.
Sophomore Wes Carr recorded a sacrifice bunt, bringing Williams off the final plate to extend the Majors' lead to 2–0.
In the top of the third, Williams and Ousley were a big defensive playmakers, recording three ground outs with strong throws across the diamond.
In the fourth inning, a Majors error allowed a Colonels batter to reach third, and he scored shortly after putting Centre on the board, down 2-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Centre scored on another error by Millsaps to tie the contest at 2–2.
Centre then loaded the bases, and a walk sent a runner home, giving the Colonels their first lead of the game.
The Colonels continued to bring runners home with a sacrifice fly to center field, extending their lead to 4–2.
Battling back for Millsaps, Williams hit a two-RBI homer to left field, tying the game at 4–4 for the Majors.
The Majors loaded the bases, but a flyout by the Colonels ended the fifth inning.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Colonels opened with a leadoff double down the left line and later reclaimed the lead, 5–4, on a sacrifice fly.
Refusing to give up, Ousley singled through the right side, driving in freshman Christian Kretzer to tie the game at 5–5 for the Majors.
Williams then stepped into rhythm with a sacrifice fly to the Colonels' center fielder, powering the Majors back into the game with a 6–5 lead.
In the top of the ninth, Grant tracked down the final out in center field as Wolley delivered a strong performance to close things out on the mound for the Majors.
GAME 2: Millsaps 7, Centre 6 (10 inn.)
Morgan erupted in Game Two and the final game of the series, with a walk-off homer to seal the victory for the Majors on Saturday.
The Walker, La., native also recorded one run an RBI alongside and a walk in his dominate performance against the Colonels.
Freshman Hudson Moberly (run, RBI) and Carr (RBI, run, double) both batted 2-for-4. Sophomore Kyle Veal Jr. had a strong finale, batting 2-for-4 as well with his first collegiate homer tallying two runs.
Freshman Jackson Devey was terrific delivering 5.0 scoreless innings, adding three strikeouts against four hits and one walk.
Senior Andrew Bradley earned the victory with a scoreless 10th inning, recording a walk and a strikeout.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Carr doubled down the left line to send Williams home, with Millsaps taking an early 1-0 charge.
Keeping the pressure on the visitors, Moberly singled up the middle, driving Carr to home base and extending the Majors' lead to 2-0.
Prepared for this moment all season, Veal Jr. blasted a two run homer, as teammates and fans cheered him on, pushing the lead to 4-0.
The Majors put up four runs and three hits to put away the inning.
The Colonels looked to threaten the Majors in the top of the sixth, but a foul out to Moberly allowed the Millsaps catcher to record the third out.
Veal Jr., having an impressive Game Two, singled to left field, advancing Moberly to third.
However, the Colonels' first baseman made an unassisted play to prevent the Majors from scoring.
In the top of the seventh, Centre trimmed the contest down to 4-2 with a two-RBI homer.
In the bottom of the seventh, Mendieta advanced to third on an error following a failed pickoff attempt by the Colonels.
Ousley made a quick trip to the plate, hitting a single through the left side to score Mendieta as Millsaps breezed past the Colonels, 5-2.
In the top of the ninth, a Colonels single to right field moved a runner to third, and moments later, a passed ball brought him home as Centre cut the deficit to 5-3.
Soon after, the Colonels tied the game 5-5 with a single and a double down the left-field line, driving in two runners.
Having trailed since the fourth inning, they then continued their rally to take a 6-5 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Grant doubled to right-center, helping Wall slide head-first into home safely to draw the matchup at 6–6.
In extra innings, Bradley walked the first batter, but recovered to tally the next three batters. Morgan then delivered fireworks with a walk-off homer over the left-field wall to defeat Centre, 7–6 and secure the series triumph on Saturday.
The Majors will be back in action on Tuesday to face Belhaven University in Game Two of the Cowboy Maloney Series at the Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., beginning at 6 p.m. 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.
