April 7, 2007

JACKSON -- Brandon Ingram and Jay Hollenbeck both picked up their sixth wins on the mound and the Millsaps bats combined for 38 runs off 24 hits en route to a twinbill sweep over the visitors from Rust College on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Twenty Field.

The Bearcats used a solo shot over the 20-foot wall in rightfield by senior outfielder Carlos Hardaway to lead off the first frame in Game 1, rallying for two more runs in the inning on a throwing error and an RBI-single from Brandon Beckett to take an early 3-0 lead.

Millsaps (25-9, 8-4 SCAC) quickly responded, plating two runs in the bottom half of the inning and outscoring Rust 19-2 over the final six frames, to cruise to a 19-5 victory.

John Pacillo's five RBIs paced the Millsaps scoring while Russ Boyd and Hunter Abrams drove in three runs apiece in a pair of multi-hit games. Luke Morrow, Billy Murphy, Hunter Owen, Justin Carter and Nick Crawford drove in the remaining seven runs off a combined six hits.

Ingram (6-1, 3.50 ERA) was credited with the win, scattering five hits, three strikeouts and three runs [two earned] over four innings of work with junior David Hutzel and freshman Boomer Hudson tossing the final three innings in relief.

In the nightcap, Hollenbeck (6-1, 4.14 ERA) responded with a solid performance after dropping his first career game in a Millsaps uniform last week against Trinity (Texas), scattering three hits, two strikeouts and one earned run over four innings of work.

Four different Millsaps hurlers combined to pitch the final three innings, with Tait Hendrix, Drew Maddox, Andrew Flemming and John David Childs combining for five strikeouts and only two hits.

Twenty-three different players stepped on the field for the Majors in Game 2, with 13 crossing the plate, nine recording a hit and eight picking up at least an RBI in the 19-1 win.

Millsaps will play a single game at Louisiana College on Tuesday, April 10, and a 4-game series at Hendrix College April 13-15 before returning home for its final home game of 2007 at Twenty Field against cross-town rival Belhaven College on April 17.