Majors Split Day One of SCAC Tournament; Face Rhodes Tomorrow Afternoon

JACKSON, Tenn. – The Millsaps Majors Softball Team traveled to Jackson, Tennessee on Friday afternoon as they competed in the first day of action at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Millsaps, the No. 2 seed in the East, picked up a dominating win over Austin College, 8-0 (5) before falling to the No. 1 seed in the West, Trinity, in a 1-0 thriller.
 
The Majors started the day by facing the Austin College 'Roos in Game Two of the SCAC Tournament. Austin College started off the top of the first by getting runners on first and third with two outs, but sophomore pitcher Laurel Jones pitched a long got out of the inning after a long duel with Heather Farquhar where she finally got her to line out to first to end the inning.
 
Both pitchers kept each team in check throughout the first three innings. After Jones put the 'Roos down in order in the fourth, Millsaps came to bat as junior Megan Yglesias led it off with a walk followed by a single by newly named Player-of-the-Year, senior Allison Tarbox. Freshman Karen McWilliams came to the plate and belted a homer to get the first runs of the game on the board and put Millsaps up 3-0.
 
The 'Roos threatened with two one out hits in the fifth, but Jones again worked out of it to keep the Majors ahead 3-0.
 
Millsaps started the fifth with a singly by senior Jade Hewitt followed by a bunt attempt by sophomore Logan Dukes which the 'Roos misplayed to make it first and second. Thompson then reached on a bunt single to load it up for Yglesias who cleared the bases with a grand slam, her seventh home run of the season, to make it a 7-0 game.
 
After two quick outs, McWilliams singled to right followed by another single from junior Emily Collins to move the runner to third. Sophomore Allyson Christian came to the plate in a pitch-hitting situation and singled the game winning run as Millsaps defeated Austin College 8-0 in five innings.
 
Jones gets her seventh win of the season, pitching a complete game shutout while giving up only four hits and striking out seven on the afternoon.
 
Yglesias led the way, going 1-for-1 with the grand slam and two walks while McWilliams added a 2-for-3 game with three RBIs and two runs scored.
 
Millsaps came back later that afternoon to take on the Trinity Tigers in the nightcap in what turned into pitching duel between Trinity's Sydney Friday and Millsaps' Emily Collins. The two pitchers were both dominant as they both only allowed two hits on the afternoon.
 
The Majors did have an opportunity in the sixth inning as they loaded the bases with one out, but could not bring a run home. Trinity responded with one run in the sixth off a sacrifice fly to go up 1-0 and take the win.
 
Collins takes the loss despite pitching brilliantly, going 6.0 innings while only allowing two hits and one run while striking out five. Collins and McWilliams had the only two hits for the Majors.
 
Millsaps goes to 19-19 on the year and will face the Rhodes Lynx tomorrow afternoon at 12 p.m. in an elimination game as they look to work from the bottom half of the bracket.