Softball earns first AAC win at Columbia

COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 2, 2024) – The Milligan University softball team split with Columbia (S.C.) in the Buffs' Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opener in South Carolina on Saturday afternoon. The Koalas took game one 8-5 before Milligan bounced back with a 5-4 win in game two.

Milligan moves to 3-6 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Columbia is now 8-8, 3-3 AAC.

Game 1 – Columbia 8, Milligan 5

A five-run first inning for the Koalas proved to be too much to overcome in the Buffs' conference opener. Columbia used five hits and one Milligan error to jump out to a 5-0 lead in the opening frame.

The Buffs scored twice in the second inning with a run coming home on an error and Haley Vigil smacking a two-out RBI single to bring the tally to 5-2.

Maggie Johnson slugged a solo home run in the fourth but so did Columbia as the Koalas led 8-3 going into the fifth.

Morgan Lawson had an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mia Grassee in the fifth to trim the margin to 8-5.

The Buffs loaded the bases with one out in the sixth to bring the go-ahead run to the plate but could not break through with a hit as the Koalas took an 8-3 win.

Alexis Brown, Johnson and Vigil each had two hits in the ballgame. Sadie Shoun allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits in four innings of relief.

Game 2 – Milligan 5, Columbia 4

Layney Loyd smacked a two-run homer in the second to give the Buffs an early 2-0 lead.

The Koalas scored once in the fourth but Morgan Lawson responded with a three-run bomb in the fifth to push Milligan's lead to 5-1.

Columbia answered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 5-3.

The Koalas used two hits and a hit batter to bring home a run and put the tying and winning runs on base with one out in the seventh. Shoun retired the last two batters with a force out and a strikeout to clinch Milligan's first conference win of the season.

Bree Presnell earned the win after going 6.1 innings and allowing four runs (three earned). Shoun picked up the save.

Loyd had two of Milligan's five hits and scored twice. Lawson drove in three with her home run.

The Buffs host Johnson in an AAC doubleheader on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.