Buffs edged in two one-run games at Brenau

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (March 11, 2022) – The No. 20 Milligan University softball team was defeated for the first time in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play for the first time this season as the Buffs were edged in a pair of one-run games at Brenau on Friday. Milligan fell 2-1 and 5-4 in nine innings.

The Buffs fall to 13-3 on the season and 8-2 in league play. Brenau rises to 10-5, 3-1 AAC.

Game 1 – Brenau 2, Milligan 1

Two unearned runs by Brenau in the bottom of the third were enough for the Tigers to prevail 2-1 in the opening game.

Milligan struck first in the bottom of the second inning with McCoy Hensley driving in Kate Pendleton with a two-out single. With leadoff batter Grace Jones at the plate with runners on first and second, the lead runner was picked off to end the inning.

The Tigers quickly put the tying run on second base in the bottom of the second after a hit-by-pitch and sacrifice bunt, but Milligan started Erin Forgety sat down the next two batters with strikeouts to strand the runner on second.

Brenau put runners on first and second with two outs in the third, and a error in left field allowed the Tigers to tie the game at one, and the next batter singled in another run to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.

That one-run edge was all Brenau would need as Milligan stranded runners on second in the fourth and the fifth.

Forgety worked out of a two-on, one-out situation in the fourth to keep the margin at a single run and turned a 1-4-6 double play in the fifth to defuse another sticky situation.

The Buffs got a leadoff single by April Alvarado in the seventh, but a flyout, pickoff and groundout ended the game.

Forgety was tagged with the tough-luck loss despite allowing no earned runs, six hits and no walks with four strikeouts on the day. Both teams scattered six hits over the course of the game.

Game 2 – Brenau 5, Milligan 4 (9 innings)

After three-up, three-down first innings for both teams, Milligan took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Pendleton doubled and Hensley jacked her first home run as a Buffs.

Base hits by Alvarado and Jones set up runners at second and third with one out in the third, but Brenau escaped the inning without any damage with a strikeout and foul out.

The Tigers scored a run in the third inning on back-to-back two-out errors and tied the game at two in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out RBI single.

Milligan responded with a two runs in the top of the fifth. Katie Cronin doubled in Alvarado and a hard-hit ball that could not be handled by the Brenau third baseman brought home Jones to give the Buffs a 4-2 edge. The Buffs were not able to pile on in the fifth as a squeeze attempt resulted in an out at home and a strikeout ended the frame.

Brenau brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the sixth with runners on second and third and two outs. Milligan pitcher Cloee-Anna Merritt got a groundout to first to end the inning.

Brenau quickly loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh. An RBI single put the tying run on third base and the winning run on second. Merritt rang up the next batter before a sacrifice fly tied the game at third. With two outs, the next Brenau batter ripped a line drive into center field, but it was snagged by Neelee Griffith to send the game into extra innings tied at four.

A pair of walks put Griffith and Pendleton on first and second with two outs in the eighth, but the Buffs could not find a timely hit to take the lead. In the home half of the inning, a leadoff single was followed by a sacrifice bunt and groundout to second to put the winning run on third base with two outs. The Tiger batter bounced back to Merritt who threw to first to close the inning.

The Buffs went down in order in the ninth. After a single and an error, Brenau brought home the winning run with a blooper down the left field line with two outs to earn a 5-4 win.

Merritt was tagged with her first loss of the season despite only allowing one earned run. Jones had two hits, Cronin and Pendleton doubled and Hensley homered in the loss.

Milligan heads to Truett McConnell tomorrow for another AAC doubleheader.