After taking 2 out of 3 from Hendrix on the road, the Rhodes College Baseball team returned to Stauffer Field where they got set to play a 3-game series against the number 1 team in the SAA. The Millsaps Majors proved to be a formidable opponent, but the Lynx held strong to claim 2 out of 3 once again.
Game 1:
Game 1 was a tough outing for the Lynx as they were held quiet by the opposing ace on the mound. Rhodes scored their first run in the bottom of the 6th inning thanks to an RBI single by Brad Larson. Immediately following, Ben Burkhart produced a sacrifice fly to score Myles Kruger. The only other run for the Lynx was scored in the bottom of the 8th when Myles Kruger doubled, plating Ben Daniel. Unfortunately, the offense would come up short and the Lynx would fall in game 1 by a final score of 9-3.
Game 2:
The offense broke through in game 2, plating 7 total runs beginning with a Quinn Blackman single in the 1st inning to jump out to an early lead. Corbin Kinder and Cooper Kuriger would both record RBIs in the inning to plate 3 total runs in the bottom of the 1st. The success carried over into the bottom of the 2nd as Brandon Trichell knocked an RBI single to score Ben Burkhart. Quinn Blackman came back to the plate and picked up his 2nd RBI of the game in the form of a single up the middle.
The Majors would go on to tie the game in the top of the 4th, and the Lynx offense was silenced until the bottom of the 9th, when Corbin Kinder singled up the middle, scoring Brandon Trichell and winning game 2 in walk-off fashion. Kinder's RBI would be the 7th run of the game for the Lynx and complete the 7-6 victory to tie the series.
Mick Arney tossed 3.0 innings in relief and recorded his 6th win of the season.
Game 3:
With the series all tied up following the Saturday doubleheader, both teams returned to Stauffer Field for the highly anticipated series finale. Although Millsaps secured an early 2-run lead, the Lynx offense remained hot and produced an 8-run 3rd inning. Austin Smith got the party started with an RBI single to right field. Quinn Blackman singled soon after, driving home Ben Burkhart. Corbin Kinder gave the Lynx a 4-3 lead with a 2 RBI single. Then, with the bases loaded, Myles Kruger stroked a base-clearing double to extend the Lynx lead. The very next batter, Ben Burkhart hit a 435-foot bomb to dead center field, capping off the 8-run inning.
In the bottom of the 4th, Cooper Kuriger recorded an RBI single scoring Quinn Blackman. The Majors battled back to come within just 1 run in the top of the 7th, but the Lynx, remaining resilient, went back to work on offense. Myles Kruger hit his second double of the game in the bottom of the 7th, a 2 RBI knock that completed his 5 RBI day. A bases-loaded walk from Austin Smith added 1 final insurance run for the Lynx as they headed into the 9th inning.
With a 3-run lead, and the Majors down to their final 2 outs, the Lynx turned the ball over to sophomore pitcher Ryan Fallman. Fallman came in and slammed the door, recording both outs by strikeouts, and picking up his 1st save of the season.
Mick Arney started the game for Rhodes and recorded his 2nd win of the series, 7th win of the season. The Lynx would hang on to win game 3 by a final score of 13-10, besting the top team in the conference.
Rhodes Baseball improves their record to 21-13 (9-6) and they will have Easter Weekend off. The final conference series of the season will be played at Stauffer Field on the weekend of April 26th against Oglethorpe.
