March 19, 2007

RIDGELAND -- Winners of four of its last six overall, the Millsaps softball team posted a 3-2 record this past weekend at the Spring Softball Classic in Ridgeland, a tournament that featured three conference opponents in Rhodes, Centre and DePauw University.

Despite the games being Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) foes, the games were calculated on a neutral site and did not affect each team's conference record.

Game 1 Recap: Millsaps 8, Centre 4
In the tournament opener for Millsaps, freshman hurler Brittney McAllister (4-2, 4.55 ERA) won her third consecutive game in the circle for the Majors, tossing a complete game, seven hitter while scattering three unearned runs and striking out four.

McAllister also benefited from balanced hitting and run support from her teammates, as the Majors had eight different players record a hit, including freshmen Sam Hill (3-for-4) and Jennifer McKinley (1-for-3) who posted a pair of RBIs apiece.

Game 2 Recap: Millsaps 12, Rhodes 0 (5)
For the first time this season the Majors strung together a 3-game winning streak, run-ruling the visitors from Rhodes College 12-0 in five innings thanks in part to five Lady Lynx errors.

Millsaps plated a run in the first, six in the second, two in the fourth and three in the fifth to give freshman Kasey Thibodeaux (1-6, 4.07 ERA) her first win of the year in the circle for the Majors. Thibodeaux struck out a season-high five batters and scattered five hits and no runs for the win.

Game 3 Recap: DePauw 11, Millsaps 0 (5)
DePauw (6-0) remained perfect on the early season with an 11-0 win, using five Millsaps errors, 15 hits and a 3-for-4, four RBI night from freshman Kaitlyn Davitt for the win.

Katherine Veatch (2-0) pitched a complete game shutout in the circle for the Tigers, scattering eight hits, a walk and a strikeout while Millsaps starter Erica Douglas was hit with the loss after surrendering four runs in the first and five runs in the third.

Game 4 Recap: Millsaps 3, Rhodes 0
McAllister picked up her first complete game shutout in a Majors uniform, surrendering five hits while striking out a season-high four Lady Lynx, and senior Josie Manley went 2-for-3 at the plate with the eventual game-winning RBI in the bottom of the third frame for Millsaps' fifth win of the season.

Despite striking out 11 batters and only allowing six hits, junior Dana Bartolomei was hit with the loss for Rhodes, who became the school's all time leader in strikeouts. The Lynx fell to 7-4 on the season.

Game 5 Recap: Centre 2, Millsaps 0
Douglas pitched perhaps her best game in the circle for the Majors on the year, but fell just short in a 2-0 loss, as the Colonels plated two runs in the first inning off a pair of RBI-singles for the win.

The Colonels used a complete game shutout from freshmen Tyler Travis (4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB) and Charlotte Jones (2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 K), as the two combined to allow just five Millsaps hits. Travis picked up the win while Jones earned the save in relief.

Manley was 2-for-3 on the afternoon to extend her hitting streak to six games while McKinley's 10-game hitting streak was snapped on an 0-for-2 afternoon with a walk.

Although McKinley's hitting streak was snapped, the freshman infielder still has another streak alive. With a walk on Sunday, McKinley has now reached base safely in 20 of 20 games on the season to increase her on-base percentage to .471.

Millsaps will face off with Austin College at Millsaps Field this weekend to open SCAC play. The Majors and Kangaroos will play a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, with both days scheduled for a noon first pitch.