April 5, 2008

JACKSON – Seniors Hunter Abrams and Quinn Salmon each went 4-for-8 from the plate with three runs scored and junior teammate Hunter Owen moved into fourth all-time in Millsaps history with his 23rd career home run as the Majors swept a pair of games on Saturday afternoon against league-foe Hendrix, 16-2 and 9-3 to reach the 20-win plateau.

With Southwestern winning the opening two games of a 4-game series against Austin College at home, the Majors jumped up one spot in the SCAC West standings from fourth to third as they moved to .500 in league play at 5-5 in front of the 'Roos at 6-8.

Millsaps (20-11, 5-5 SCAC) scored eight runs in the first inning after holding the Warriors scoreless in their half, sending 13 runners to the plate and using RBI-singles from all around off five hits to give the Majors' starting pitcher Tait Hendrix (5-3) plenty of run support to work with.

Hendrix, a junior left-hander from Jackson, went the distance in a scheduled 7-inning affair to pick up his fifth win of the year, scattering four hits and two runs while striking out five. Gabe Levin was hit with the loss for Hendrix after giving up 12 runs (11 earned) in 4.1 innings in addition to walking six.

The Majors tacked on five more runs in the fifth inning off an RBI-single from Joe Blades and Abrams to go along with a 3-run homer from Owen over the leftfield wall to put the game well out of reach for the visiting Warriors. Owen's homer kept him at first in the SCAC with 11, while tying the 11 he hit last year as a red-shirt sophomore.

Millsaps overcame six errors in the afternoon finale and rallied twice from a pair of deficits in the third and fourth innnings to put up a 9-3 win, uniting behind the strong arm of freshman Aaron Williams who tossed a career-high nine strikeouts and improved to 4-0 in his rookie season with a 3.26 ERA.

Hendrix (12-22, 1-9 SCAC) took brief leads at 1-0 and 3-1, using an RBI-single from Matt Giza to left field in the third followed by a two-RBI single from the league's third-best hitter Daniel Ward to center in the fourth, before the Majors responded on both occasions to tie the game at 3-3 after five full.

Williams and the Majors' defense shutout the Warriors the final four innings in addition to scoring five runs of their own in the eighth to seal the victory, holding Hendrix without a hit down the stretch and retiring the final seven batters in order. Junior Drew Maddox tossed the final scoreless inning in relief of Williams, as the staff allowed just five total hits.

Freshman Josh Ordeneaux went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Majors' offensive attack, while Salmon went 3-for-3 with a pair of singles and his fifth double of the year. Ward went 2-for-4 for the Warriors with a pair of RBIs in the fourth inning.

Millsaps and Hendrix will wrap up a weekend series with a doubleheader at Twenty Field on Sunday after Friday's game was rained out. First pitch has been moved up from 1 p.m. to a noon start and both games can be heard on Jackson's ESPN Radio 1240 AM. Due to power outtages in the area, online access may not be available for the twinbill.