No. 21 Buffs sweep KCU in AAC doubleheader

The Buffs rise to 9-1 (4-0 AAC) on the year while KCU falls to 2-8 (1-5 AAC).

Game 1 – Milligan 8, Kentucky Christian 0 (6 innings) 

The opening game of the doubleheader was a pitcher's dual for the first four innings as the Buffs and Knight managed two baserunners apiece. Milligan starter Erin Forgety kept KCU off the scoreboard and the Knight's starter Ashton Blackburn kept the Buffs' bats quiet as the game was scoreless going into the fifth.

After Forgety registered her fifth scoreless inning in the top of the fifth, April Alvarado led off the inning and wound up on third base thanks to a KCU miscue. An infield single by McCoy Hensley was followed by a stolen base by Hensley to put runners on second and third with one out. After the umpires ruled a squeeze attempt hit the batter resulting in an out, it was up to Grace Jones with two away. Jones came through with a two-run single up the middle.

The Buffs' lead grew as Katie Cronin tripled in Jones and scored on an RBI double by Bailey Cantrell. Milligan ended the inning with a 4-0 lead as each of the Buffs' runs were scored with two outs.

Forgety retired KCU in order in the sixth. In the bottom of the frame, Hensley and Allee Griffith smacked run-scoring doubles to give Milligan a 7-0 edge. Cronin ended the game with a two-out RBI double of her own to secure the 8-0 run rule victory.

Forgety collected her fourth win of the season with a three-hit, six-inning shutout. She struck out four and walked none in the victory.

Cronin was 2-4 with a double, triple, two RBI and a run scored. Hensley went 2-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Jones drove in a pair with her single in the fifth and Alvarado scored twice.

Game 2 – Milligan 8, Kentucky Christian 3 

The Buffs did not waste time scoring their first run in game two. Jones led off the bottom of the first with a base hit, stole second and third and scored on a Cantrell groundout to give the Buffs a 1-0 lead.

The Knights had runners on first and third with nobody out to open the second inning. With two outs, KCU singled up the middle and a fielding error in center field allowed both runs to score as the visitors took a 2-1 advantage.

Back-to-back base hits by Cronin and Cantrell had the Buffs threatening in the bottom of the third, but a hard-hit ground ball off the bat of Hanna Taylor was snatched by the third baseman, who stepped on third and fired over to first for an inning-ending double play.

Neelee Griffith cranked a double to left center field to open the home half of the fourth inning. She scored on a one-out single by Hensley to tie the game at two. Jones lifted a ball into left center field to bring home Alvarado on a sacrifice fly. Cronin came through with a two-out, two-run single to extend Milligan's lead to 5-2 after four innings.

KCU used a double, walk and infield single to load the bases with one out in the top of the fifth. Milligan pitcher Cloee-Anna Merritt got the next two batters to pop out to first and ground into a force out at third to escape the inning.

Merritt was relieved by Forgety in the sixth with the Buffs holding a 5-2 lead. Forgety got a line out, strikeout and pop out to quickly end the inning.

Milligan added three more runs in the sixth as Allee Griffith doubled and scored on a base hit by Jones. Cantrell swatted a two-run home run to extend the Buffs' lead to 8-3 going into the seventh.

A solo home run to right center field was the only hit the Knights were able to muster in the top of the seventh as Forgety ended the game with a fly out to right field followed by two strikeouts as she earned her first save of the season.

The top of the lineup for the Buffs played a significant role in as they combined for eight hits and seven RBIs. Cantrell led Milligan with three RBIs in addition to two hits. Jones, Cronin, and Taylor also picked up two hits apiece and added four RBIs between the three of them. As a team, the Buffs finished with 12 hits in the second game for a total of 21 on the day.

The Buffs head to St. Andrews on Sunday for an AAC doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m.