February 24, 2008

CLINTON – Millsaps plated five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to an 8-5 come-from-behind victory in the second game against Christian Brothers University to earn a split in a doubleheader Sunday afternoon in Clinton, Miss.

The Lady Bucs (6-2) took the first game 4-1 behind a complete-game effort from pitcher Nikki Dunn. Dunn (4-0) recorded 13 strikeouts and surrendered just three hits and one unearned run, that coming in the first inning.

(Game 1) The Majors (1-3) took an early 1-0 lead after leadoff hitter Tiffany Ladnier reached and advanced to third on an error by CBU third baseman Casey King. Shortstop Sam Hill followed, smashing a base hit to right to score Ladnier. After a one out double by freshman catcher Amanda Berry, the Majors had runners on second and third but Dunn caught Kasey Thibodeaux and Amanda Stevens looking to end the inning. Dunn would not allow another Major to advance past first base for the rest of the game.

Freshman pitcher Laura Litton (0-1) was solid in five innings, allowing six hits, however, two of those hits were home runs, including a three-run blast by King in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Leftfielder Kathleen Nelson hit a solo shot in the third inning to tie the score. Thibodeaux pitched two scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Hill, Berry, and Stevens were the lone Majors to record hits. Victoria Matthews and Nelson recorded multiple hits for the Lady Bucs, going 3-for-4 and 2-for-3 at the plate, respectively.

(Game 2) Millsaps rebounded in the second game, taking advantage of four errors by Christian Brothers to overcome seven of their own errors and earn their first victory of the 2008 campaign.

The Lady Bucs took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning on a pair of errors, a hit and two hit batters. But the Majors responded with a single run in the second and two in the third.

Freshman leftfielder Katherine Nicholas recorded her first hit and RBI of her collegiate career on a two-out single that plated Karoline Kremers for the Majors’ first run. A pair of errors in the third by King helped Millsaps take a 3-2 lead.

CBU took a 5-3 lead in the fifth, plating three runs, but the Majors quickly rallied with a five-run, five-hit inning in the bottom of the sixth to blow the game wide open.

Stevens, Crowe and pitcher Brittney McAllister led off the inning with three consecutive base hits. Stevens and Crowe came around to score on an error by catcher Sammy Maness, who dropped a throw from the first baseman on a would-be force out at the plate. Hill cleared the bases, ripping a go-ahead double to the left-center gap to score McAllister and Ladnier, while eventually scoring on a passed ball to give the Majors an 8-5 lead.

The Lady Bucs had runners on first and third with one out but McAllister (1-1) forced a pair of pop-ups in the top of the seventh to end the potential rally. McAllister, who came on in relief of Thibodeaux in the fifth, surrendered three hits and three runs (one earned) in three innings to pick up the win. Thibodeaux allowed just five hits and two unearned runs while striking out four in the no-decision.

Eight different Millsaps players recorded base hits, led by Ladnier’s two. Hill went 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI’s and two runs scored. Kallie McFatter (2-2) took the loss for the Lady Bucs. Maness led CBU at the plate, going 3-for-4.

The Majors will not play a “home” game until March 18 against Centre College, playing their next 14 games away from Millsaps, beginning with a pair of twinbills at Piedmont and LaGrange College this weekend.