March 13, 2008

JACKSON – In a 3-hour and 20 minute non-conference affair on Wednesday afternoon against Huntingdon College, Millsaps sent 13 runners to the plate, nine of which scored, in its opening at-bat that spanned 39 minutes and added eight more runs late to knock off the Hawks for a ninth-straight time overall, 17-11.

Despite getting out-hit 17-8, Millsaps capitalized off 14 walks given up by the Hawks to extend its season-long winning streak to seven games.

Freshman Jeremy Aliff led off the Majors’ explosive first with a single to center, followed by a double from Russ Boyd and six-straight walks issued by Hawks pitchers that allowed the first four runs to cross the plate. Millsaps would tack on five more in the inning after filing through the line-up, using RBI-singles from Josh Ordeneaux and Aliff and a sac fly from Hunter Abrams.

Huntingdon (3-11) plated its first run of the game in the third and added four in the fourth to cut the Millsaps lead to 9-5, taking advantage of two-run homer from Craig Womack to left field behind a leadoff double from Dane Vansant.

Six more walks and a pair of hit-by-pitches allowed Millsaps to stretch the lead out to 17-7 through the sixth, dropping a three-spot in the fifth on two sac flies and an RBI-single from Abrams followed by five in the sixth to blow the game wide open.

The Hawks clawed back with a single run in the top of the seventh to extend the game and avoid the 10-run rule with leadoff batter Kyle Eller recording one of his game-high five hits on the afternoon – an RBI-single to center to score Chad Anderson.

Late reliever Brad Vest did a nice job for Huntingdon in keeping the Majors off the scoreboard in the seventh and eighth, tossing the final 2.2 innings and allowing only one hit while striking out three.

The Hawks plated three runs in the top of the ninth to make the final margin a little closer, chasing sophomore Andrew Fleming who started the inning and allowed all three runs without recording an out. Junior closer Drew Maddox finished out on the hill for Millsaps, giving up a single and a walk before striking out the final two batters to secure the victory.

Senior Jay Hollenbeck earned the win for the Majors, improving to 1-0, while Jason Suchocki (0-2) was hit with the loss after lasting only 1/3 innings and walking five.

Aliff led Millsaps offensively after going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, followed by Ordeneaux (2-for-2, two RBIs) and Abrams (1-for-4, two RBIs). Eller led the Hawks from the plate, going 5-for-6 while Taylor Files went 4-for-5 with three RBIs.

Millsaps will hit the road for its next four games, opening league play at Austin College on Friday, March 14 at 6 p.m. All four games will be broadcast live by Jackson’s ESPN Radio 1240 AM and online at www.espnradio1240.com.