Two late sparks lift Buffs over Rams
Karsten Miller walked off in game one, then the Milligan University softball team scored three runs in the sixth inning of game two, all in beating Bluefield 7-6 and 7-4 for another doubleheader sweep Tuesday evening under the lights of Anglin Field.
MILLIGAN, Tenn. (March 9, 2021) – Karsten Miller walked off in game one, then the Milligan University softball team scored three runs in the sixth inning of game two, all in beating Bluefield 7-6 and 7-4 for another doubleheader sweep Tuesday evening under the lights of Anglin Field.
The wins marked the seventh straight for Milligan, which improved to an Appalachian Athletic Conference-leading 9-1 (4-0 AAC). They also put an end to Bluefield's recent success as the Rams (6-6, 2-4 AAC) entered the day having won two straight and five of the last seven.
Game One | Milligan 7, Bluefield 6
Miller capped a four-hit game with a walk-off hit to left-center field. It came with two out and two strikes in the bottom of the seventh, scoring the winning run after Bluefield walked the bases loaded. Previously Miller had singled home a run in the second and doubled in both the fourth and sixth innings.
Katie Cronin continued her torrid start to the season following Miller in the multihit category. Cronin went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, one of her hits leading to a run in the third as Kate Pendleton hit a two-RBI double with two out in that inning.
Cloee-Anna Merritt went the first six and two-third innings, allowing only five hits and two walks while striking out six. Her only real blemish was a two-run homer in the fifth after seeing three unearned runs score in the fourth.
Game Two | Milligan 7, Bluefield 4
Milligan quickly took the lead with a three-run first, but Bluefield was able to answer back late in the game. April Alvarado doubled one run home in the first, followed by a Savannah Nocera bases loaded walk and Lindsey Slagle first-pitch single through the left side. That made it 3-0, and the Buffs tacked on another run in the fifth on another Alvarado RBI.
Leading 4-1 in the sixth, Bluefield fought back with a three-run home run with two out, tying the game despite starting pitcher Erin Forgety facing only three over the minimum over the first five innings.
Milligan answered right back in the bottom half of the same inning. Bailey Cantrell led off with a double, then Slagle and Lainey Mays tallied hits to help the Buffs push three runs across.
Kesney Brown, who entered for the final two innings, closed the door on Bluefield in the seventh, setting the Rams down in order on eight pitches. In fact, she worked perfectly through her two innings of relief.
Forgety went the first five innings but received no decision. She allowed nine hits and one walk while striking out six.
Cronin produced her seventh multihit game of the season going 3-for-4 and bringing her batting average up to a whopping .793 (21-for-29).
Up next
Milligan travels to Montreat Wednesday for a 3 p.m. AAC doubleheader before returning home, weather pending, to face Columbia Saturday at 2 p.m.