Softball edged by No. 17 Cumberlands in extra innings

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (March 15, 2022) – The No. 20 Milligan University softball team was defeated 2-1 in 10 innings at No. 17 Cumberlands on Tuesday afternoon.

Milligan falls to 13-4 on the year. All four of the Buffs' losses this season have come in one-run ballgames. Cumberlands rises to 18-9.

The first 14 batters of the games were retired as starting pitchers Erin Forgety and Kaiti White of Cumberlands both had three-up, three-down first and second innings. The game's first hit came with two outs in the top of the third when McCoy Hensley laced a double into right-center. She ended up stranded as the Buffs could not string together another hit in the inning.

Milligan scored the game's first run in the fourth inning. April Alvardo singled, stole second and advanced to third on an error on the stolen base attempt. She scored on a sacrifice fly into left field by Hanna Taylor.

After Forgety struck out the side in the second and third innings Cumberlands broke through with its first hit and run of the ballgame in the fourth. A base hit and stolen base set up the Patriots' first run. The Buffs tried to get the lead runner on a tag play but the throw was not in time. The batter moved up to second and after a Milligan throw to second, the runner on third came home to tie the game at one. After a walk put runners on first and third with nobody out, Forgety escaped with no more damage with a groundout, strikeout and fly out.

Cloee-Anna Merritt entered the game in relief in the fifth and tossed scoreless fifth and sixth innings with no hits and one hit-by-pitch.

In the seventh, Taylor led off the inning with a base hit, but the Buffs recorded three-straight outs to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, after two quick outs, Cumberlands notched back-to-back singles. Kendyl McCollister entered the game and after an error loaded the bases, ended the inning with a grounder to second. Both teams managed just three hits and one run heading into extra innings.

After a scoreless eighth inning. Katie Cronin led off the ninth with a double into the ally in right-center. She moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt by Alvarado. Cronin was stranded 60 feet away as a groundout and pop out ended the inning.

McCollister retired the Patriots in order in the ninth with consecutive strikeouts to close the frame.

In the 10th, Bailey Cantrell started the inning on second base as the international tiebreaker was in play. With one out, Kate Pendleton flared a ball into right field, but the Cumberlands' right fielder made a diving to play to rob a base hit. Cantrell advanced to third on the play but was stranded on third.

The Patriots walked it off in the 10th as the Buffs were unable to throw out the runner starting on second at third on a bunt attempt. A base hit into shallow right field ended the game, giving the hosts a 2-1 victory.

The teams combined for just nine hits in 10 innings of action. Cronin and Hensley both had a double.

Forgety allowed one run and one hit in four innings with seven strikeouts. Merritt went 2.2 innings of scoreless ball and McCollister allowed one run and two hits in 2.1 innings.

Milligan returns home Thursday for an Appalachian Athletic Conference doubleheader against Union at 4:00 p.m.