CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College head baseball coach Brian Owens needed 16 innings, but he earned his 200th career victory with a 3-2 victory over Union University on Thursday afternoon at Frierson Field.

Owens earned his first career victory back in the 2007 season with a victory over Tougaloo and his 100th win came in similar dramatic fashion as the Choctaws scored five runs in the final two innings to pick up a 7-6 win over Millsaps College on April 20, 2010.

In MC's longest game in at least the last 15 seasons, senior Brooks Fortenberry had an outstanding start on the mound, tying a career-high with 10 strikeouts in 8.0 innings. The Magee native allowed just six hits and one run on a two-out RBI single by Trae Bain in the fourth inning.

The Choctaws got their first run in the first inning as junior Colton Caver drove in senior Akiko Thompson with a sacrifice fly.

The game would remain tied at 1-1 until the ninth inning when Union broke through with a sacrifice fly by Brady Cook to score pinch-runner Davis Shoemaker.

In their half of the ninth, MC got one-out singles from senior Marty Stringfellow and junior Toler Robinson, and the two advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. After freshman Colton Johnson was intentionally walked, junior Logan Ferrell singled to right field and drove in Stringfellow to tie the game, but freshman pinch-runner Kyle Smith was tagged at the plate with the potential winning run.

The bullpens took over from there as junior Tyler Scholl was dominant over 5.1 innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out five straight batters. Andrew Wilson came out of the bullpen for the Bulldogs and pitched 7.0 innings, scattering seven hits and just the one earned run.

Both teams had chances in the extra frames as the best opportunity for Union came in the 15th when they loaded the bases with one out. Senior Grady Turman got a strikeout and a groundout back to the mound to halt the threat.

The Choctaws finally finished the game in the 16th inning when Thompson walked to open the inning and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Hunter Bolin. He moved up to third on an error by the shortstop and came home to score when the Bulldogs failed to turn a double play that would have kept the game going.

Turman (1-0) picked up the win for MC, giving up just one hit with two strikeouts over the final 1.2 innings. Mathis took the loss for Union, allowing an inning-opening walk to score in the 16th inning.

Ferrell led the MC offense in his first start of the season, going 3-for-7 with the game-tying RBI in the 9th inning. Thompson and Bolin each had two hits for Union.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Bulldogs (1-9, 1-4 GSC) picked up their first victory of the season with a 10-3 victory.

After struggling through the first three innings, junior Taylor Olsen settled in and gave up just three earned runs over 5.1 innings pitched.

Skyler Harris got the win for the Bulldogs, striking out five over 6.0 innings. Jim Martin led the offense with three hits and three RBI.

The Choctaws and Bulldogs will play the rubber game of the series on Friday at 1:00 p.m. at Frierson Field.