JACKSON, Miss.--Senior pitcher Pierce Banks spinned a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings to help set the tone for a low-scoring non-conference baseball game in which Adrian prevailed over Southwestern (Texas), 3-1, in the opening game of the Millsaps College Classic on Saturday.

THE BASICS
= Final Scoreline: Adrian College 3-5-1; Southwestern (Texas) University 1-1-2

= Location: Twenty Field, Jackson, Miss.; Weather: Sunny, 66 degrees, Wind slight

= Records: Adrian Bulldogs 1-3; Southwestern Pirates 4-3

= National Rankings:  Adrian is No. 14 by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (247 points) preseason poll and "receiving votes" in the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (48 points) poll.

TOP 'DAWGS
= Junior Brandon Cooper chipped in a double.

= Sophomore Kevin Cardentey was 1-for-3 with a run batted in.

= Freshman Michael Swanson earned his first collegiate save after working a perfect ninth inning.

= Seniors Brady Wood, Tristin Richardson and junior Ty Peck each had a single.

THE OPPOSITION
= Hayden Craig was 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.

= Byron Dowdell II had a RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED
= Adrian opened up a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Wood singled to third base and Peck, who had led off the game when he was hit by a pitch, scored from third base on a throwing error.

= In the sixth, Cardentey singled to right field for a RBI to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.

= In the top of the eighth, Southwestern closed to within 2-1 when Dowdell hit by pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run and two outs. The Pirates left the bases loaded without the benefit of a hit.

= Adrian got an insurance run in the home half of the frame when Richardson had a RBI-single to center field.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE 
= Adrian and Southwestern met for the first time in baseball. 

= Banks tied his career-best with 11 strikeouts--first set on April 21, 2018, against Albion--and moves within one punch-out of Craig Reynolds, who is fourth in school history with 213 career strikeouts from 2003-06.

NEXT UP
= Adrian continues Millsaps College Classic action against Millikin on Sunday (Noon ET) and the host Majors on Monday.

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