JACKSON, Miss. – Centre baseball split two evenly-matched games against Millsaps to open Southern Athletic Association play Saturday at Twenty Field.
 
The Colonels (7-2, 1-1 SAA) fell 6-5 in 10 innings in the opener before rallying to a 2-1 victory in the seven-inning closer against the Majors (3-10, 1-1).
 
HIGHLIGHTS: MILLSAPS 6, CENTRE 5 (10 inn.)
Centre struck first in the opener when Mason Falbo drove home Parker Selin in the top of the third.
 
The Colonels added two more the following inning, getting RBIs from Selin and Drew Schacht. Jordan Gunter and Cameron Duggins provided the runs.
 
Starter Sam Shelley didn't allow a hit until the third and kept Millsaps scoreless through five. The Majors took a 4-3 lead after the sixth, however, highlighted by Will Neely's three-run homer. 
 
Centre quickly regained the lead with a pair of clutch two-out RBIs from Duggins and Austin Sharkey, but Millsaps leveled the score in the bottom of the frame to square the game at 5-5.
 
Millsaps seemed poised to end the game in the ninth, loading the bases to put the winning run 90 feet from home. With two outs, Schacht fanned Brock to send the game to extras.
 
The Majors would get out of a bases-loaded jam of their own in the top of the 10th, and ended the game on a bizarre fielder's choice in the bottom of the inning.
 
Selin, Schacht and Will Kirk each had two hits for the Colonels, and five different individuals crossed home plate. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS: CENTRE 2, MILLSAPS 1 (7 inn.)
Both sides were scoreless until Millsaps plated the game's first run in the fourth, on an RBI single from Will Warner. 
 
The Colonels tagged reliever Hayden Williams for two runs to take the lead in the top of the sixth. Gunter stole second and third, and eventually tied the game on Sharkey's bunt single. 
 
With two outs and Will Ahrens on second, Kirk delivered a go-ahead RBI single to make it 2-1 in favor of the Colonels. 
 
Millsaps got the would-be tying run to third in the bottom of the seventh with no outs, but again Schacht proved effective in relief, striking out two before getting a ground out to end the game.
 
Chris Esselman got the start and threw 3.2 innings, allowing one run while striking out six. 
 
Jake Holloway earned the win in 2.1 innings of work, allowing only one hit before turning the ball over to Schacht, who earned his second save of the year.
 
UP NEXT
Centre and Millsaps close the series Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.