April 2, 2008

JACKSON – Junior catcher Russ Boyd went 3-for-4 with a pair of singles and his team-leading 14th double of the season and the Millsaps pitching staff struggled for just one inning before the offense responded in a 7-4 victory over cross-town rival MS College.

The win for Millsaps (18-11) wrapped up the season series between the Majors and Chocs as part of the annual Cowboy Maloney Trophy Series, giving the hosts a 3-0 series sweep to improve to 20-18 all-time under 20th-year head coach Jim Page. Belhaven has already captured the 2008 Title due to a 4-0 mark and the tiebreaker.

Choctaw starter Nathan Stewart and the Millsaps trio of Brandon Ingram, Travis Bogue and John David Childs combined to give up only five hits through the first five innings on the mound before the Majors rallied for a run in their half of the fifth to break a scoreless tie off an RBI-single to right-center from senior Hunter Abrams.

The teams stranded a total of 25 runners on the night but managed to score nine runs in the deciding sixth inning, with MS College taking the lead at 4-1 before Millsaps came storming back with five runs in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead at 6-4.

The Choctaws (16-13) rallied with two outs in the inning after a pair of flyouts, using a single, walk and an infield error to load the bases. Brandon Turner followed with a two-RBI single to right-center, followed by an RBI-single from Dakota Bodree and an RBI-walk issued to pinch-hitter Jay Watts.

Millsaps got its boost from leadoff batter Tony Malaschak who singled through the left side, coupled with a pair of walks and a Jeremy Aliff hit-by-pitch to score the first run of the inning. Choctaw middle-reliever Ryan Willis was chased in the inning after recording only one out and the Majors followed with a bases-clearing double from Boyd deep in the leftfield corner and an RBI-single from Abrams to take the 2-run lead.

Max Berry and Drew Maddox combined to throw the final 3.1 innings on the hill for Millsaps, with the duo surrendering just four hits while striking out four, as Berry picked up his first career win and Maddox added his team and league-leading fourth save of the year.

Millsaps added an insurance run in the eighth off a wild pitch to make the final margin 7-4.

The Majors (3-5 SCAC) will welcome Hendrix College (1-7 SCAC) to town this weekend for an all-important SCAC series, with Millsaps needing to win at least four of its remaining eight games to qualify for the SCAC Divisional Playoffs in Millington, Tenn., April 18-20.

Game Notes:
Freshman Josh Ordeneaux had his career-best 18-game hitting streak snapped in the bottom of the eighth inning off a flyout to right... Hunter Abrams passed Mike Highfill for fourth on the all-time hits list with 207 after going 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs... Millsaps won its third-straight series (7-2 overall) against the Choctaws dating back to 2006.