March 18, 2008

JACKSON – Freshman Karoline Kremers hit her first career home runs, a grand slam and a three-run shot, to finish the day 5-for-8 with 10 RBIs and Millsaps scored a combined 22 runs off 24 hits to top Centre in a pair of games in its home-opener on Tuesday afternoon.

With the doubleheader sweep, 11-9 and 11-3 (6), Millsaps (12-7, 2-0 SCAC) won its ninth-straight game overall in a span of five days to match their win total from a year ago in just 19 games. The Majors started 2007 at 0-10, finishing the year at 12-26.

(Game 1) In a back-and-forth battle, Centre (6-8, 0-2 SCAC) scored the opening run of the ballgame in its half of the first and rallied to take a 7-5 lead in the fourth with four runs before Millsaps responded with five runs in the bottom of the fourth for the two-run win.

The Colonels put the first two runners on base to open the game, taking advantage of a leadoff walk to Lindsey Willett followed by a Maggie Blackburn bunt single. The runners were moved over on a sac bunt a batter later and Taylor Childs recorded the RBI on a sac fly to right to score Willett.

Millsaps drew even in the bottom of the first with two outs in the inning when sophomore Jennifer McKinley launched her third home run of the year over the left centerfield wall.

Four runs for the Majors in the second gave them their first lead of the game at 5-1, rallying off two hits from senior Jessica Clincy and frosh Kremers coupled with two Colonels errors.

The Majors battled back to take the lead in the fourth for good after surrendering six runs in the previous two innings, plating five in the fourth of a Kremers 3-RBI double and a Jessica Crowe RBI-groundout.

Freshman Laura Litton picked up the win in the circle for Millsaps, improving to 3-1 on the year, after relieving Kasey Thibodeaux in the fourth and scattering three hits and two runs.

(Game 2) The one through five hitters went 11-for-18 with nine RBIs, including Kremers who went 2-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs, as Millsaps plated seven runs in the first inning off Colonels sophomore Tyler Travis to cruise to an 11-3 win in six innings.

Centre got back to within 7-3 with runs in the third and fourth but that's as close as they would get as sophomore Brittney McAllister moved to 3-4 on the year in a complete game performance. McAllister struck out four and allowed four hits and three runs in 6.0 strong.

Millsaps will put its nine-game win streak on the line Wednesday, hosting the final two games in a 4-game series with Centre at noon and 2 p.m. with weather permitting.