February 19, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After dropping conference foe Sewanee 13-0 in Saturday's weekend opener at Stauffer Field on the campus of Rhodes College to move to 4-0, Millsaps was knocked off by Robert Flanagan and the Lynx on Sunday by a score of 8-5.

Against Sewanee, Millsaps pounded out 13 runs on 13 hits, plating five runs in the first, a run in the second, third and fifth and five more runs in the sixth to put the game way out of reach.

Hunter Abrams led the way for the Majors with a pair of doubles, while Hunter Owen, Luke Morrow and senior Taylor Jones each added a double.

Jay Hollenbeck (2-0, 0.00 ERA) is off to a hot start for Millsaps, tossing six solid innings without surrendering a run in his second start of the season. For Hollenbeck, it's his second consecutive start in 2007 that he has not given up a run (11 innings).

An extra note in Saturday's win was that Majors senior second baseman Nick Crawford set an NCAA Division III career record when he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning, giving him 76 HBP's in his career. He has been hit six times this season through four games.

In Sunday's weekend finale against homestanding Rhodes, the Lynx received an outstanding pitching performance from last week's SCAC Pitcher of the Week, junior Robert Flanagan, who threw 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven and giving up three unearned runs.

The game went scoreless through the first four innings until the Lynx lit up the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame, piling on six runs off seven hits on Millsaps starter Travis Bogue (1-1, 4.91 ERA).

Three consecutive singles from Richard Hurd, Andy Boucher and Mason Mosby loaded the bases for junior Daniel Vanaman who unloaded the bases on a 3 RBI double to deep centerfield.

After surrendering another pair of singles, senior transfer Brent Buffa was sent in in relief of Bogue with runners on first and second with two outs. Buffa gave up an RBI single to Hurd and forced Boucher to line out to centerfield a couple batters later to get out of the inning.

The Lynx lead grew to 8-0 after a Brett Miller RBI single in the sixth and a Matt Beesley RBI single in the seventh.

It looked all but over for the Majors in the eighth inning when Morrow flied out to rightfield to start the frame, but after Joe Blades and Russ Boyd reached base safely on errors, things were suddenly looking up.

Millsaps would go on to rally for five runs in the inning, capped off by an Owen 2-run bomb off closer Andy Holt that scored Justin Carter.

Brandon Ingram retired Rhodes in order in the bottom of the inning, setting up the Majors with one last chance to pull out the win in the top of the ninth.

Millsaps quickly threatened, with John Pacillo and Morrow standing at first and second on successful base hits and designated hitter Derrik Boland standing in the box for the tying run.

Unfortunately for the Majors, Boland hit into a 5-6-3 double play and Boyd went down on strikes to end the game and a late run.

Flanagan (3-0) picked up the win and Bogue was hit with his first loss of the season.

The Lynx offensive attack was led by Vanaman who went 2-for-4 from the plate with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored, while Hurd went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Millsaps will return home Tuesday, Feb. 20, playing host to Belhaven College in game two of the Maloney Series Trophy between the Majors, Blazers and Choctaws of Mississippi College. Game time is slated for 6 p.m.

The Majors will then hit the road for a four-game road swing to Georgia (Feb. 22-25), facing off with LaGrange College and Piedmont College. The games were originally scheduled to air on ESPN Radio 1240 AM, but will not due to the SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament in Memphis.