February 20, 2008

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – In a non-conference affair on Wednesday at Posey Field to close out a 4-game road swing, Millsaps jumped out to a 5-run lead in the fourth and held off a Huntingdon rally in the ninth to win 10-8 and move to 8-0 all-time against the Hawks.

Millsaps (6-2) wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, benefiting from a pair of walks and a pair of hit-by-pitches and plating two runs in the top half of the first on an RBI-single from junior Hunter Owen and an RBI from senior Derrik Boland off a fielder’s choice.

Huntingdon (1-5) responded in the bottom half of the frame to knot the game at 2-2, using an RBI-single from Taylor Files and a sac fly from Craig Womack that scored Files.

The Hawks threatened to score again in the second, loading the bases off a pair of walks with two outs, before Millsaps’ starting pitcher Brandon Ingram worked out of the jam with a fly out to Tony Malaschak in left to end the inning.

The Majors regained the lead in the third, plating two more runs to take a 4-2 advantage prior to the Hawks retying it again in the bottom half with two runs of their own.

Ronnie Causey delivered his second career double to leadoff the fourth and start another Millsaps rally, scoring two batters later off Malaschak’s first career double. The Majors proceeded to score four more runs in the inning to take a 9-4 cushion, including an RBI-single from senior Quinn Salmon to break out of a 1-for-16 hitting slump.

The Hawks once again clawed back in the fifth, plating two runs to cut the gap to 9-6 before freshman Andrew Pearce – in his first collegiate appearance – entered for Max Berry with one out and the bases loaded and worked out of a jam without surrendering any more runs.

Following Salmon’s RBI-single in the fourth, Millsaps was held without a hit for the next four innings but placed six runners on base by way of three walks, two hit-by-pitches and an error. Causey ended the streak for the Majors in the top of the ninth with a single to right as the Majors added an insurance run to make the score 10-7 off a perfectly executed sac bunt from Billy Murphy that scored Tyler Berry from third.

Huntingdon put together one last rally in the bottom of the ninth to make things interesting, using back-to-back singles from Dwight Hause and Adam Shipp after a leadoff strikeout to put runners on first and second with one out.

From there, frosh Aaron Williams relieved fellow freshman Jason Riggins and recorded the final two outs of the game off a fly out to left and a strikeout looking to Womack to earn his first career save behind a 2-0 record and a stifling 0.71 ERA.

Pearce (1-0, 5.40 ERA) was credited with his first win as a Major after tossing 1.2 innings and not allowing a hit, while Hawks starter Chris Owen (0-1) was hit with the loss after giving up six runs (four earned), five walks and three hits in 3.0 innings of work.

Millsaps was led offensively by Causey and Malaschak who picked up two hits apiece along with Boland who drove in two runs. The Hawks had three players pick up multiple RBIs in Files, Kris Ingram and Chad Anderson.

The Majors will open a two-game set with Piedmont (5-1) this weekend at home with a single game on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. with Sunday's finale slated for noon. Both can be heard on Jackson's ESPN Radio 1240 AM.