JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps College baseball team battled strong against No. 16 Belhaven University in the Cowboy Maloney Series, but fell short 15-10 after showing great determination on Tuesday at Twenty Field. 
 
Millsaps (12-19) won Game One of the series, 14-7, and Belhaven (24-8) won Game Two, 12-1 to force Tuesday's decisive contest. 
 
Senior Layne Cross recorded two hits, a pair of RBIs, one double and a run. 
 
Sophomore Carston Williams batted 2-for-4 on the night, while registering two runs, one RBI and a hit by pitch. 
 
Junior Wesley Grant concluded Game Three of the series with three walks, one run, a hit, and a double led by an RBI. 
 
Freshman Connor Schell boasted three runs, a trio of walks, a double, and an RBI against the Blazers. 
 
Sophomore John Montour pitched 1.0 innings on top of the hill where he allowed zero hits and no runs 
 
Senior RJ VanBeber also tossed a scoreless inning, allowing just one hit in his first career appearance in the ninth inning. 
 
Belhaven took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning to open Game Three of the Cowboy Maloney Series. However, in the bottom of the first, Cross recorded a lead-off single for the Majors and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. 
   
Grant later hit a double to right field to score Cross, narrowing the Majors' early deficit to 2-1. 
   
In the top of the second, sophomores Wes Carr and Carston Williams alongside senior EJ Ousley worked together to stop the Blazers with a double play. 
   
Belhaven scored once more in the bottom of the third after a runner stole home on a designed double-steal situation. 
   
The Blazers increased their lead in the top of the fifth inning after a ground ball double play allowed a runner to score from third, extending Belhaven's leverage to 4–1.  
  
Millsaps knocking off the sweat, brought some heat in the bottom of the fifth inning after Ousley led off with a single to right center and advanced to second on a passed ball.  
  
Moments later, Schell reached first base on a walk. Ousley then advanced to third on an error by the Blazers' pitcher and scored on the throw, cutting the deficit to 4–2.  
  
Millsaps kept its bats hot as Williams singled to right field, scoring Schell and putting pressure on the Blazers.  
  
Soon afterward, the Majors mounted a comeback. Carr singled to right-center field for two RBIs, advancing Gran to third after a walk, scoring Williams and Kretzer. The hit gave the Majors a 5–4 lead over the Blazers.  
  
Millsaps ended the top of the sixth inning with a double play turned by Ousley stepping on second base, and throwing over to Williams at first. 
 
The Majors continued to increase their margin in the bottom of the sixth as Schell doubled down the left line with one out.  
  
Kretzer followed with a singled to right center, moving Schell to third. Kretzer advanced to second on an error, and Schell scored on a wild pitch to help the Majors surge past the Blazers, 6-4. 
 
After a strong response by the Majors, Belhaven answered back in the top of the seventh with a two-run double to tie the contest at 6-6. 
 
The Blazers then exploded for nine runs on four hits, including a grand slam, in the bottom of the eighth to take back the lead, 15-6. 
 
Still showing resolve in the bottom of the eighth, Schell walked to first base and given his opportunity to shine, freshman Drew Kelley came in as a pinch hitter and singled to right center. 
 
Cross then doubled to left-center to score both Schell and Kelley, looking to change things around, while trailing 15–8. 
 
VanBeber then took the mound in the top of the ninth, allowing one hit and no runs in his first career appearance. 
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Williams was placed on first base after being hit by a pitch. 
 
Freshman Dominic Mendieta then singled up the middle to bring Williams home after advancing to second, with Millsaps finding some breathing room and make it 15-9. 
 
Schell then walked with the bases loaded after four balls was called by the umpire, allowing Grant to come home after drawing a walk earlier, helping the Majors keep their composure. 
 
The Majors battled every inning strong against the Blazers on Tuesday but fell short,15-10 to close out the Cowboy Maloney Series. 
 
Millsaps will resume its conference action, hosting Rhodes College for a three-game series beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Live video and live stats will be provided 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.