Streaking Buffs up to eight straight wins, again
Two more masterful performances inside the circle from Erin Forgety and Cloee-Anna Merritt, plus an 8-for-8 day from Katie Cronin, led Milligan University to a pair of run-ruled 8-0 victories over Tennessee Wesleyan on Thursday.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tennessee Wesleyan
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
|
Milligan
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tennessee Wesleyan
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
|
Milligan
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 0 |
MILLIGAN, Tenn. (April 15, 2021) – Two more masterful performances inside the circle from Erin Forgety and Cloee-Anna Merritt, plus an 8-for-8 day from Katie Cronin, led Milligan University to a pair of run-ruled 8-0 victories over Tennessee Wesleyan on Thursday.
The wins were Milligan's seventh and eighth straight, a feat the Buffs have accomplished twice this season, and improved them to 26-4 (19-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference). They faced the red-hot Bulldogs (21-9, 17-7 AAC), winners of 10 of the last 11 entering Thursday's twin bill.
During Milligan's current eight-game winning streak, the Buffs have posted six shutouts and have only given up two runs. Forgety faced only three over the minimum in her second shutout of the season. Merritt matched her with a shutout as well, her fourth of the season facing only five over the minimum.
Game One | Milligan 8, Wesleyan 0
Like Milligan in a recent run of domination, Forgety (10-2) continued her dominating ways with one of the best games of her career. She threw a three-hit shutout, walked only one, struck out two and retired the last eight. It marked her third complete game of the season, all in the last three starts as she improved her streak of giving up no earned runs to 26.2 innings, spanning her last four starts.
Milligan jumped out front early, scoring three in the bottom of the first aided by three walks and a Tennessee Wesleyan error. Halie king followed with a solo home run in the second, then April Alvarado and Kate Pendleton had RBI singles in the fourth to make it 6-0.
Neelee Griffith put a punctuation mark on the game with a two-run homer in the sixth, helping the Buffs seal the game without having to go to the seventh. Cronin led the Buffs with a 4-for-4 effort.
Game Two | Milligan 8, Wesleyan 0
Merritt once again matched Forgety nearly frame for frame, dialing in her fourth straight start of not giving up an earned run. This streak spans 23 innings and she improved to 11-1.
Merritt struck out only one, but it came in a clutch situation as it helped her escape a jam in the top of the fifth. Tennessee Wesleyan started that inning with the first two reaching, but a pop out, strikeout and strong defensive play from Savannah Nocera and Lainey Mays saw Merritt and the Buffs get away unscathed.
It was a 1-0 game at that point, but the Buffs quickly blew it wide open with five runs in the bottom half. Grace Jones and Mays both hit two-out singles to score one apiece, then Griffith hit a two-out, two-RBI double to make it 5-0.
Milligan enforced the run rule again in the sixth after Merritt went deep for the first time in her career and a one-out rally saw Cronin plate the final run on a single up the middle. For Cronin, this capped another 4-for-4 game, her fifth four-hit game of the season.
With the 8-for-8 day, Cronin brought her season batting average back up to a whopping .592. She leads the nation in hits per game and overall batting average.
Highlights of the eight-game winning streak
The Buffs have outscored competition 49-2, with no earned runs allowed and an opposing batting average of .139. Merritt has struck out 23 in 23 innings pitched while Forgety has struck out 24 in 26.2 innings pitched.
Cronin is 18-for-27 (.667) with four doubles, a triple, eight RBI's and 11 runs. She is one of eight Buffs batting .400 or better, and the team is averaging .356 at the plate. Alvarado is .471, Jones is .429, and Mays is .421.
Griffith has hit three home runs during the stretch, and the team has hit seven.
Up next
Milligan hosts No. 15 Truett McConnell (26-11, 19-4 AAC) Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bears rank second in the AAC, half a game behind AAC frontrunner Milligan.