February 14, 2008

JACKSON – In the opening game of the 2008 Cowboy Maloney Trophy Series, junior left-hander Tait Hendrix set a new career-high with nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work and Preseason All-America Hunter Owen blasted his third home run of the year as Millsaps run-ruled the visitors from MS College 10-0 in seven innings at Twenty Field.

The win for Millsaps helped sweep a season-opening, 4-game homestand to move to 4-0 on the year, while the Choctaws fell to 1-3 on the early season. It also gave the Majors a leg up in the race for the Maloney Trophy, with Millsaps searching for a third-straight title.

In just his 12th career start on the hill, serving double duties on the mound and in the outfield, Hendrix broke his previous career-high of eight strikeouts against Huntingdon College back on Feb. 27 last year. His 6.0 scoreless innings were also a new career-best as the junior from Jackson was in a groove all night.

Caught up in a pitcher's duel through the first four innings, Hendrix and Choctaw starter Jack Craven combined for 11 K's and just one run, with the Majors crossing the plate in the bottom of the fourth when freshman Tony Malaschak stole third and then advanced home off an error from the catcher.

After Hendrix struck out three of the four batters he faced in the fifth, MS College decided to make a change on the mound, bringing in senior Nathan Stewart who earned a no decision in his first outing of the year after surrendering three runs in 6.1 innings.

Stewart was rocked from the get-go, giving up a single to Derrik Boland to leadoff the bottom of the fifth, followed by a plunking to Ronnie Causey and an RBI-single from Hunter Abrams to score Boland. Millsaps would add three more runs in the frame to push the lead out to 5-0, using a two-RBI double from Owen and a sacrifice fly from Quinn Salmon.

Adam McQueen started the sixth inning on the mound for the Chocs after the Majors chased Stewart to end the fifth and Ben Adcock to start the frame. The switch didn't help, as two more runs crossed the plate in the inning for Millsaps off a two-RBI single from Abrams to increase the lead to 7-0 after six full.

Sophomore John David Childs relieved Hendrix to start the seventh inning, retiring the first two batters he faced before getting out of a jam late in the frame off his second strikeout.

Entering the Lenny's "Late Inning Rally" in the bottom half of the seventh, Owen delivered a shot over the leftfield wall to leadoff the inning and win one lucky fan a regular sub combo compliments of Lenny's in Fondren. Two more runs in the inning off an RBI-single from freshman Will Hawkins and a sac fly from Causey gave Millsaps a 10-0 lead, causing the game to be called due to the 10-run rule.

Millsaps will hit the road for its next four games, opening at No. 5 Emory on Saturday and Sunday Feb. 16 and 17, followed by single games at Belhaven and Huntingdon College. All four games of the road swing can be heard live on Jackson’s ESPN Radio 1240 AM and online at www.espnradio1240.com.

For those of you who will make the road trip (any road trips), bring an FM radio to the game to listen to the broadcast live at the stadium. Check with ESPN broadcaster Derrel Palmer prior to first pitch to check the frequency.