SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Will Yarbro posted three hits with a solo homer and three runs scored and
Jadon Fetrow added three hits and one RBI, backing up 7.1 strong innings from
Taj Donald in a 6-4 Sewanee victory in the opener of a doubleheader Saturday against Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss.
The Tigers (11-11, 2-6 SAA) lost the second game of the twinbill, 2-1, in seven innings. The two teams will play the rubber game of the series Sunday at Noon.
Donald (2-4) allowed single runs in the second and fourth innings before departing with two on and one out in the eighth. He gave up eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts and
Henry Shields got the final four outs for his first save.
Yarbro's solo homer in the seventh got the Tigers on the board and Sewanee finally broke through with four runs in the eighth, taking advantage of 14 hits in the contest.
Blake Pou posted two hits as well and
Owen Andress, Pou,
Sebastian Leinberger and Fetrow all drove in runs in the eighth.
Will Norris allowed one run in 6.1 innings for Millsaps, the homer to Yarbro, getting nine fly ball and eight ground ball outs. He did not walk a batter nor strikeout anyone. Jackson Hood (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in one-plus inning of work.
Sewanee managed just three hits in the second contest and only one in the first six innings against lefthander Wil Wood (4-1), who gave up one run with two walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. The Majors (12-10, 2-6) posted single runs in the first and fourth innings versus
Matt Munn (2-3), who allowed six hits with four walks and four strikeouts in six innings. Pou drove in the only run for the Tigers with a single in the seventh.
Evan Scott got the Majors on the board in the first game with a solo homer to leftfield with one out in the second inning but Donald worked around a pair of singles later in the inning. Millsaps added a run in the fourth when Degan Hensley led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Norris for a 2-0 lead for the home team.
The Tigers posted a pair of singles in the third inning but had just four total baserunners through the first six innings against Norris before Yarbro broke through with a solo homer to leadoff the seventh, cutting the deficit in half.
Andress was hit and after a groundout, the Majors went to the bullpen for Hood, who walked Leinberger before a single by Fetrow loaded the bases.
Charlie Teel flied out to end the frame but the table was set for a big inning.
Sewanee followed through in the eighth, starting with a leadoff double by
Hunter Herndon and a one-out single by Yarbro, who stole second. Andress reached on an infield hit, plating a run, and Pou's single to left scored another, forcing another pitching change by Millsaps.
Leinberger greeted Graham Harrison with an RBI single to center and pinch-hitter
Jonah Patton walked before an RBI single by Fetrow for a 5-2 Tigers advantage.
Hensley singled and Scott walked with one out in the bottom of the inning for the Majors, ending the day for Donald, but reliever
Henry Collins struggled, getting a fly out before walking Norris and hitting EJ Ousley and Branyan Bounds, forcing in two runs. He fell behind 2-0 to pinch-hitter Cole Wix, forcing the Tigers to turn to Shields, who got a fly ball to end the inning with Sewanee still in front, 5-4.
In the ninth
Jack Roode led off with a single and Yarbro bounced into a fielder's choice. Pinch-hitter
John Bagwell walked and after another groundout, Yarbro came across on a wild pitch for a 6-4 edge.
Shields got a fly ball, a strikeout and a groundout to close out the victory and pick up a save in game one.
In the second contest Bounds singled with one out in the first and stole second. Norris walked with two outs and Case Page plated Bounds with a single to right. Hensley led off with a single in the Millsaps fourth and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jackson Ware. He went to third on a groundout and a two-out single by David Abbadessa plated Hensley for a 2-0 edge.
Wood retired 14 of the first 15 batters of the game (only a walk to Pou) before Leinberger singled with two outs in the fifth but the lefty set down the side in order in the sixth as well. In the seventh Andress singled with two outs and moved to second on a wild pitch. Pou singled up the middle, plating a run, and Leinberger walked, but pinch-hitter Patton struck out swinging to end the game.
