Griffith sets school record for home runs in sweep over Bluefield

BLUEFIELD, Va. (April 4, 2022)- The Milligan University softball team swept Appalachian Athletic Conference opponent Bluefield in Monday's doubleheader matchup. The Buffs won game one by a score of 11-1 and game two by a score of 13-0. 

Milligan climbs to 21-10 (16-8 AAC) for the year while Bluefield falls to 8-17 (3-13 AAC).

In game two of today's doubleheader, Neelee Griffith broke the school record for career home runs with 27 to overtake previous record holder Megan Aldridge (03-07) career high of 26.

Game One - Milligan 11, Bluefield 1

The Buffs were the first team on the scoreboard as they pushed across one run in the top of the first inning. April Alvarado drew a walk then proceeded to steal second and third base. An error from the Bluefield catcher allowed for Alvarado to cross the plate after swiping the third base bag giving Milligan a 1-0 lead. 

A leadoff double from Bluefield in the bottom of the fourth put the Rams in prime scoring position with no outs. In the next at-bat, a Milligan error resulted in a run as they tied the game at one apiece with three innings left to play. 

Milligan exploded for six runs in the top half of the sixth as the Rams were forced to make a pitching change when the Buffs loaded the bases with no outs. Grace Jones led off with a double into left field followed by a single from Alvarado then a hit-by-pitch. In the next at-bat, a ground ball back to the pitcher scored Jones while back-to-back walks lead to the second run of the inning. Griffith then ripped a two-out, two-RBI base hit into left as Katie Cronin and Kate Pendleton scored on the play. Alexis Brown picked up two RBIs as well on a hard hit ball to the Bluefield shortstop as Griffith and Bailey Cantrell crossed the plate to give the Buffs a 7-1 lead.

Four more runs on four hits in the top of the seventh gave Milligan a ten-run advantage with just one more at-bat for the Rams. Cronin, after leading off with a triple to right field, scored on a Hanna Taylor single to left. McCoy Hensley, later in the inning, smacked a three-RBI home run over the center field wall to extend the lead to 11-1. 

Erin Forgety retired the side in the bottom of the seventh as she finished off her superb day in the circle. She pitched a complete game two-hitter striking out eight while walking just one in her eleventh win of the season.

Jones led the Buffs offensively with three hits in four trips to the plate and a run scored. Hensley recorded a team-high three RBIs on the day in addition to one hit. Taylor, Griffith, and Brown combined for six RBIs, two hits, and a run scored. Alvarado, Cronin, Pendleton, and Cantrell combined to score eight of Milligan's 11 runs for the game. 

Game Two - Milligan 13, Bluefield 0 (5 innings)

Cloee-Anna Merritt was the story of game two as she tossed a no-hitter in five innings of work while striking out four and walking none in Milligan's five inning run-rule victory. Merritt retired fifteen straight Rams' batters after the first hitter reached base on an error. 

The Buffs scored one run on two hits in the top of the first as Jones led the game off with a single to right and later scored on a wild pitch. 

In the second, Milligan pushed across ten runs on eight hits. Cantrell got the big inning started with a double to left field followed by back-to-back walks. Jones then plated Cantrell with a sacrifice fly to left. Alvarado and Cronin, in the next two at-bats, connected on consecutive base hits to each pick up an RBI. A ground out to short followed by a double by Pendleton gave Milligan two more runs before Griffith launched a home run over the left field wall to give the Buffs an 8-0 lead Two batters later, Hensley crushed a home run of her own, this time a two-RBI bomb to center field. The Buffs' tenth run of the inning came off the bat of Jones who laced an RBI-triple to right field. 

Pendleton hammered a two-RBI homer to left field in the top of the third extending Milligan's lead to 13-0. The Buffs' nearly added another run in the fifth after Cronin reached scoring position with no outs.Following a pop up in foul ground for out number one, a single from Kendyl McCollister advanced Cronin to third base with one out. A strikeout and ground out ended the inning for Milligan. Merritt used two ground outs and a punch out to close the door on any comeback attempts from Bluefield.