Belhaven University defeated Millsaps College 15-10 in the final game of the Cowboy Maloney Series on Tuesday at Twenty Field in Jackson, Mississippi. The Blazers, ranked 16th nationally, took the series after splitting the first two games. Belhaven won Game Two 12-1 after Millsaps took Game One 14-7.
Millsaps (12-19) showed resilience in the series finale but could not overcome Belhaven’s offensive outburst. Senior Layne Cross led the Majors with two hits, two RBIs, a double, and a run. Sophomore Carston Williams went 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, and a hit by pitch. Junior Wesley Grant contributed with three walks, a run, a hit, and a double with an RBI. Freshman Connor Schell scored three runs, drew three walks, and doubled with an RBI. Sophomore John Montour pitched one scoreless inning, allowing no hits, while senior RJ VanBeber also threw a scoreless inning in his first career appearance, allowing just one hit.
The series featured a back-and-forth battle. Belhaven took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game Three, but Millsaps responded with a run in the bottom of the inning. Grant’s double scored Cross, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Millsaps then took the lead in the fifth inning, with Ousley scoring after a wild pitch and Schell reaching on a walk. Williams later singled in a run, and Carr’s two-RBI single put the Majors ahead 5-4.
The game remained competitive through the middle innings. Millsaps extended its lead to 6-4 in the sixth, capitalizing on a wild pitch and a double by Schell. Belhaven responded with a two-run double in the seventh to tie the game at 6-6. In the eighth, the Blazers exploded for nine runs, including a grand slam, to build a 15-6 lead. Despite the deficit, Millsaps showed fight, with Schell walking and freshman Drew Kelley singling, followed by Cross’s double to score two runs.
In the ninth, VanBeber retired the Blazers in order. Millsaps scored twice in the bottom of the inning, including a run on Mendieta’s single and a walk with the bases loaded that forced in another. However, the comeback fell short, and Belhaven secured the series victory. Millsaps will host Rhodes College in a three-game conference series starting Saturday at 1 p.m., with live video and stats available at gomajors.com.
