JACKSON -- For the second time in as many days, Millsaps had to rally from a 3-run deficit to come away with a victory, this time overcoming a 5-2 deficit behind a trio of home runs and solid middle relief work from Boomer Hudson to top the University of the Ozarks 9-5.
Millsaps freshman
Todd Barnthouse had a career day, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a solo home run in the 8th inning that broke open a 1-run lead. After being held hitless in a 12-8 win over LaGrange on Friday, Barnthouse picked up his first collegiate hit to leadoff the third - a double to right center.
Just as they did a day before against Rhodes, Ozarks led off its half of the first with two quick runs for an early lead. Cory Briggs drew a two-out walk off Millsaps starter
Tait Hendrix to extend the inning and then senior Todd Koch followed with a bomb over the 20-foot fence in rightfield for a 2-0 lead.
Millsaps got one run back in its opening at-bat, using a leadoff triple from the speedster
Jeremy Aliff who scored three batters later off a
Will Hawkins RBI-single to left field.
Ozarks (1-2) extended its lead to 5-2 after single runs in the second, third and fifth, using a pair of solo home runs from Jeremy Hogan and Briggs coupled with an RBI-single from David Smith.
Millsaps slowly chipped away at the Eagles' lead with runs in the fifth and sixth innings to bring it to 5-4 and then took its first lead of the game in the seventh when
Tyler Berry delivered a 2-run homer over the right-centerfield fence with two outs -- the first of his collegiate career.
The Majors added three insurance runs in the eighth off Barnthouse's solo home run and a two-run shot from
Hunter Owen that extended a 14-game hitting streak dating back to last year.
Hudson picked up his first collegiate victory after tossing the final 4 1/3 innings, scattering three strikeouts and just one hit and retiring the final seven batters he faced. DJ Braswell was tagged with the loss after surrendering two runs in 1 1/3 innings.
The Majors will go for their second-straight sweep of the Wilson/DeMarini Classic tomorrow, hosting familiar foe Rhodes College at 2:30 p.m. The game will be live on the internet at
www.atwsportscast.com.