By Matthew D. Stokes, BerryVikings.com Lead Writer

ROME, Ga. – On a cloudy Sunday afternoon, Berry's softball split two games with Millsaps at Ford Field. The Majors won the opener, 9-8, in nine innings, and the Vikings took the rain-shortened nightcap, 6-0.

Berry's remained eight games over .500 at 15-7 and 7-3 in Southern Athletic Association matchups. Millsaps dropped back under .500 at 10-11 and 4-6.

After leading 7-1 through four-and-a-half innings, Millsaps gave up seven runs in the bottom of the fifth, giving Berry a 8-7 edge. Majors starting pitcher Molly Tyner hit Lindsey Campbell with the bases loaded and exited the game afterward. Tyner lasted four and a third innings and surrendered eight runs (all earned). Jessica Washington's two-run single up the middle off reliever Emily Collins (3-2) put Berry ahead and capped the scoring.

Millsaps rallied in the sixth, tying the game on Savannah Havard's sacrifice fly off Natalie Boyd. Three innings later, Millsaps pushed across the winning run on Casey Brown's double down the left field line. Collins retired Berry's final three hitters in order to end the game. She threw four and two-thirds scoreless innings and struck out three to earn the victory.

Allison Coronado (3-3) took the loss for Berry and pitched two frames and allowed the winning run.

Abbey Daniels, Lacey Herring, Kristen Stoll, Sara Vigue and Washington each notched two hits apiece for Berry. Tiffany Havard paced Millsaps' 17-hit attack with four of her own, including a solo home run, and Collins had three hits and three RBIs.

In game two, Natalie Boyd (5-2) shut down Millsaps' bats, and two home runs in the fifth gave her some run support.

Already leading 2-0, Washington dashed around the bases for a one-out, inside-the-park home run on a hit to right. Three batters later, Herring clubbed a three-run homer to dead center, stretching the lead to 6-0.

After Boyd induced an inning-ending double play grounder in the top of the sixth, heavy rainfall began to pour onto the field, forcing the umpires to eventually call the game.

Boyd threw a six-inning, two-hit shutout and fanned four. Majors game two starter Katie Birdwell (2-2) was tagged with the loss and allowed all six runs (five earned).

Herring led Berry with two runs scored and three RBIs. Savannah Havard had both of Millsaps' hits.

Berry and Millsaps will complete this four-game series with two more meetings tomorrow afternoon. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.