March 15, 2008

RIDGELAND – Sophomore Kasey Thibodeaux went a combined 5-for-6 from the plate with four RBIs and also tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout in the Saturday nightcap to help Millsaps knock off Hendrix and Rhodes College for its fifth-straight win overall.

With the pair of wins on Saturday, the Majors improved to 8-7 on the early season, the first time since March 19, 2005, that they have been above the .500 mark.

In the late afternoon game, Millsaps and Hendrix went down to the wire in a 2-hour and 9-minute affair, scoring a combined 23 runs off 30 hits as the Majors survived a season-high nine errors and two late runs to come away with the 12-11 victory.

Hendrix (2-10) scored two runs in each of the first three innings to take a comfortable, 6-2 lead early, highlighted by a Christina Byler solo home run, before Millsaps responded with six runs off seven hits in the bottom of the third to take its first lead of the game at 8-6.

The Majors put the first four runners on base in the frame off singles, opening with a leadoff single to right from sophomore Sam Hill and ending with RBI-singles from Thibodeaux and freshman Amanda Berry. Jessica Crowe, Katherine Nicholas and Tiffany Ladnier all added RBIs to close the inning as 10 batters came to the plate.

After Millsaps tacked on a single run in the fourth to go up 9-6, Hendrix drew even in the top of the fifth, plating three runs to knot the game at 9-9 thanks in part to three Major errors. Millsaps responded with a single run in the bottom half of the fifth and two in the sixth before holding off two Warriors runs in the seventh to hang on for the 1-run win.

Brittney McAllister improved her record to 2-4 on the year in 3.0 innings of work, while freshman Laura Litton tossed the final 4.0 to record her first career save. Jaclyn Herrera was hit with the loss for Hendrix, surrendering 12 runs (eight earned) against four Ks.

In the nightcap, Millsaps pounded out eight runs off 10 hits and Thibodeaux (4-2) scattered a career-high seven strikeouts as the Majors run-ruled the Lynx 8-0 in six.

Sophomore Jennifer McKinley went 4-for-4 from the plate with a pair of RBIs and fell a home run shy of the cycle, while five other Majors picked up a hit in the win.

Millsaps closes out the weekend with a pair of games on Sunday against Trinity University and Colorado College. Those games kick off at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m at Freedom Ridge Park.