SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Sarah Storsteen and
Kaylie Smith both posted two hits but Allana Vasquez hit a solo homer in the eighth inning for a 3-2 Millsaps victory over Sewanee in softball action here Sunday at Tiger Field.
The Majors (9-18, 4-8 SAA) salvaged the last game of the series after dropping both contests Saturday. Vasquez homered with two outs in the eighth just to the left of dead centerfield, perhaps a little wind-aided, for the go-ahead run. Millsaps stranded 13 runners in the game.
The loss overshadowed a terrific performance by Sewanee pitcher Reagan Huskey, who allowed one earned run on 10 hits in eight innings, walking two and striking out nine. She stranded the bases loaded in the seventh inning, striking out the side after the Majors loaded the bases with no outs. The righthander also left two runners on base in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.
The Tigers (8-26, 4-8) managed eight hits but could not get a two-out hit early in the contest. Four of the five runs in the contest were unearned thanks to seven combined errors by the two teams.
Abigail Smith (3-3) picked up the win for the Majors, allowing two unearned runs on eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
The Majors had the first scoring chance of the game after Molli Perry reached on a throwing error with one out in the third inning and Vasquez walked, but Huskey struck out Kinsey Smith and Madeline Black to end the threat.
Kaylie Smith doubled for the Tigers in the bottom of the inning for the club's first hit but
Hannah Wilson flied out to right to end the inning with the game still scoreless.
Kadence Cannon singled up the middle to open the fourth for Millsaps and Taylor Gonzales reached on a fielder's choice, with Cannon safe at second after the throw to second was dropped. Alli Nolen sacrificed the runners to second and third and Cannon scored on an infield single to the six-hole by Haylie Hoffpauir. Huskey got out of the inning with a popup and another ground ball, but the Majors led 1-0.
Zoe Crockett singled with one out in the bottom of the inning, moved to second on a groundout by
Maggie Barker and third on a wild pitch, but
Sydney Tackett struck out after a nine-pitch at-bat.
In the fifth Eve Bournais led off with a single but was thrown out trying to steal second. With two outs Storsteen and
Kaylie Smith both singled, but Wilson flied out to center to end the threat with the Tigers still trailing, 1-0.
The Majors added to their lead in the sixth after a leadoff single to leftcenter by Alli Nolen and Hoffpauir bunted, reaching on an error. Hoffpauir ran to second on the play and the throw went to the bag, but centerfielder Crockett threw back to the plate, nailing Nolen trying to score.
Katie Norris followed with an RBI double, extending the Millsaps lead to 2-0, but the visitors ran themselves out of the inning later in the frame. Perry reached on an error and Hoffpauir got caught between second and third. Hoffpauir and Perry both ended up on second base, with Perry eventually tagged out 6-5-4-1-3-9 on the play and Hoffpauir taking third. Vasquez lined out to third to end the inning with the score still just 2-0.
Millsaps made a defensive mistake in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff single by
Abbie Buckner. Majors shortstop Cannon was unable to get the ball out of her glove on a grounder by Crockett, with Buckner sliding into second just ahead of the tag.
Maggie Barker them dumped a single down the leftfield line, just out of the reach of the shortstop and leftfielder, loading the bases with no out.
With one out Bournais grounded to short, with the Majors getting the force out at second, but the throw to first was late and low, getting away and allowing Buckner and Crockett to score on the play, evening the game at two.
The Majors loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh thanks to infield singles by Kinsey Smith and Cannon and a walk to Black. Barker made a diving stop of Kinsey Smith's grounder down the third base line but was unable to complete the play and Cannon beat out a nice bunt down the first base line.
Huskey struck out the side to get out of the jam, getting Gonzales and Hoffpauir swinging and Nolen looking to keep the game tied at two.
Storsteen singled to leadoff the bottom of the seventh and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Smith, but Wilson popped out and Buckner grounded out to end the frame and sending the game to extra innings for the second consecutive contest.
Sewanee ends the regular season with three-game series at Hendrix College and Centre College.
