Jackson, Miss. – The Centenary baseball team fell 4-3 to the Huntingdon College Hawks on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Millsaps Baseball Classic at Twenty Field.

Millsaps Baseball Classic Tournament Central: https://gomajors.com/news/2022/2/9/majors-ready-to-host-eight-team-millsaps-baseball-classic.aspx

Centenary, currently receiving votes (7) in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA preseason poll, is part of an impressive field this weekend that features four teams (Centenary, LaGrange, Rhodes, and Millikin) currently receiving votes in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll. Host Millsaps, Berry, Huntingdon, and MUW (The W) fill out the field.

The Diamond Gents (2-3) scored a pair of runs in the seventh to get within a run of the Hawks (1-0) but Huntingdon held on for the win. Centenary, playing on the road for the first time this season after going 2-2 in the Gents Classic at Shehee Stadium last weekend, tied its single-game season high in hits with 11 but left 10 men on base.

Centenary's pitching was superb once again, allowing just three hits to the Hawks on the day. The Diamond Gents have now allowed five hits or less in four of five games this season and held the last three opponents to 10 combined hits in 26 innings of work. Junior RHP Christian Diaz (Houston, Texas) made his second start of the season for Centenary and suffered his first loss but pitched well as he went six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, with three hits and one walk and one strikeout. Junior RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) followed Diaz and pitched two perfect innings in relief.

Diaz faced 26 batters and threw 73 pitches, 45 for strikes while Primeaux faced six batters and threw just 14 pitches with nine for strikes. Huntingdon starter Seth Killam got the win as he went 6.2 innings and allowed nine hits but just three runs (one earned) with no walks and three strikeouts. He faced 30 batters and threw 79 pitches with 58 for strikes. He gave way to Tucker Duke who got the save as he pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed no runs on two hits with two walks and one strikeout.

Centenary Senior CF Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas) and fellow senior 1B Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) paced the Diamond Gents' offense with three hits each. Freshman DH Zachery Van Gorkom (Shreveport, La.) went 2-3 with a double as he picked up the first two hits of his Centenary career. Hewitt finished 3-5 with an RBI and a double and Ludwick stayed hot at the plate of late as he is 7-14 (.500) over the last three games and went 3-5 with two RBI and a double on Friday.

The Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Hall Billings. Centenary responded immediately by tying the game in the top of the third on an RBI double by Hewitt. Huntingdon reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded 3 RBI double by C Andrew Knight. The Diamond Gents then scored two runs with two outs to cut the Hawks' lead to 4-3. After Killam retired the first two batters, Hewitt singled up the middle and senior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) reached on an error which sent Hewitt to third. Ludwick then ripped a two-run double to right to score both runners. Duke entered the game for Killam and retired senior 3B Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) for the third out.

Centenary threatened in the eighth as senior Tyler Welch (Lake Charles, La.) walked with one out and moved to third on a single by senior 2B Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas). Senior Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) then came on as a pinch hitter but Duke induced a 6-4-3 double play to escape the jam and preserve the lead.

Duke retired the first two batters in the top of the ninth but again ran into trouble as he did the inning before. Robinson drew a walk and Ludwick followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Duke, though, got Bridges to ground out to short to end the game.

The Maroon and White will face MUW (The W) on Saturday at 5 p.m. and complete the weekend on Sunday versus LaGrange at Noon. Centenary's games on Saturday and Sunday will be played at Smith-Wills Stadium on the Belhaven University campus.  Centenary's final two games of the tournament will not be streamed but live stats will be available for both games.

Saturday live stats link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/millsaps/stats.htm?eventId=679032&streamType=stats

Saturday, Feb. 12                   Rhodes vs. LaGrange         11 AM
                                                Millikin vs. Millsaps              2:30 PM
                                                Centenary vs. MUW           5 PM (Smith-Wills Stadium)
                                                Huntingdon vs. Berry           6 PM

Sunday, Feb. 13                     MUW vs. Berry                     11 AM
                                                LaGrange vs. Centenary     12 PM (Smith-Wills Stadium)

                                                Huntingdon vs. Millsaps        2:30 PM

See the complete Diamond Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/schedule

Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.

Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.

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