Buffs bounce back in split twin bill
An early homer was not enough in game one, but the Milligan University softball team won its first game under its new lights Wednesday night to split a doubleheader with West Virginia Tech. Milligan lost game one 5-1 and won game two 9-3.
MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Feb. 24, 2021) – An early homer was not enough in game one, but the Milligan University softball team won its first game under its new lights Wednesday night to split a doubleheader with West Virginia Tech. Milligan lost game one 5-1 and won game two 9-3.
Game One | Griffith homers, but Buffs fall
Neelee Griffith scored Milligan's only run to put the Buffs on top, but the 1-0 lead was short-lived as WVU Tech tied the game in the very next frame, then scored what proved to be the difference an inning after that.
Griffith finished the game 1-for-3 while Lainey Mays and Katie Cronin each went 2-for-3.
Cloee-Anna Merritt pitched a complete game but suffered the loss as WVU Tech tagged her for four runs in the fourth. The runs came on back-to-back doubles followed by a two-RBI single. Merritt struck out four in the seven innings of work.
Game Two | Buffs rally from down
Tech looked to be well on its way to a sweep with a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but Milligan kept the visitors scoreless the rest of the way while scoring nine runs to surge into a big lead.
Cronin doubled and scored in the third inning before Griffith also came home on the same play that brought Cronin in, an Allee Griffith single up the middle. It tied the game, and the Buffaloes were quick to open things up, scoring four more runs in the fourth and two more runs in the sixth.
Cronin again had a big hit, singling to bring in two, and she would even score again a few batters later.
Five Buffs produced multiple hits in the game-two win, led by Cronin who went 4-for-4 with three RBI's and two runs.
Kesney Brown did all the work inside the circling, firing a complete game with four strikeouts.
Up next
Milligan heads to Knoxville to face Johnson Thursday at 1 p.m. Pending weather, the Buffs are set to return home Sunday for a nonconference twin bill with Alice Lloyd.