JACKSON, Miss. - Millikin Baseball continued their weekend in Jackson, Mississippi on February 29 as they faced Millsaps College in their second game of the weekend. The Big Blue would take the lead twice in the game but Millsaps would walk away with a 9-8 victory. 

Making the start on the mound for the Big Blue this afternoon was Truman State University transfer Caleb Buehrle. The sophomore would pitch 5.0 innings, allowing six runs on five hits, striking out three. Coming in for relief of Buehrle would be Evan Lawrence, who would throw 1.1 innings, allowing three runs on one hit, striking out two. Kyle Kane would close out the game for Millikin, pitching 1.2 innings, allowing no runs on three hits with a strikeout.

Millsaps would get on the board first in the bottom of the third inning when Sean Pitre would reach first base on an error committed by Buehrle that would advance Pitre to second and score Mark Petkovsek from second.

Two innings later in the top of the fifth, the Big Blue would score four runs of their own on three straight hits with two outs. Gabe Soria got the bats going on a single to center field to bring up Brent Beals, who would single up the middle to put two runners on the bases. Frank Bryan's single through the right side would score Gabe Soria from second and put Beals on second to bring up Kyle Kane. Kane would put one up the middle to center field, scoring Beals from second and putting Frank Bryan on second. Andrew Auton would add two more runs on a double to center field that would clear the bases, scoring Kane and Bryan to put Millikin up 4-1 after the top half of the fifth inning. 

Millsaps would come right back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs to bring the score to 6-4 in favor of the Majors. The first run would be scored on a sacrifice bunt that would move runners to second and third, scoring Mark Petkovsek from third on an error by Joey Buhay. A batter later Sean Pitre would drive in another run. Two more runs would score on a left side single hit by Avery Brock that would score Fritz Walker and Sean Pitre. Jon Dale Dieckman would drive in the final run of the inning on an RBI single to center field that would bring Avery Brock home. 

Millikin would again take the lead in the top of the seventh inning, scoring three to go up 7-6. Gabe Soria would lead off the inning with a single to right center and Brent Beals would follow suit and single to left field, putting two runners on the bases for the Big Blue. Frank Bryan would advance the runners on a groundout to put both runners in scoring position for Kyle Kane to draw a walk that would see Gabe Soria score from third on a wild pitch. Two more runs would cross the plate as Mason McGahey would reach base on a fielder's choice that would score both Kyle Kane and Brent Beals on an error by third baseman Jackson Hailey.

As was the case in the fifth inning, Millsaps would answer back by scoring three runs to take a 9-7 lead after seven innings. The first runs would be scored on a Jon Dale Dieckman single to center that would score Jimmy Johnstone. A batter later Mason Little would score Avery Brock and Fritz Walker on a single to center field. 

The Big Blue would make one final push in the top of the ninth inning as Tre Corley would reach first on an error by center fielder Sam Pitre with two outs that would score Kyle Kane from first. Millikin would come within one of the Majors but would be held off, falling 9-8. 

Millsaps' Ryan Erwin would pick up the win, coming in the seventh inning in relief of starting pitcher Wil Wood. Erwin would alow four runs on two hits, striking out three in the game. Evan Lawrence would get the loss for Millikin. 

Millikin will finish their weekend in Jackson, Mississippi as they face Adrian College on Sunday, March 1 at 11:00 AM.