Softball loses one, wnis one at Montreat

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (March 20, 2023) – The Milligan University softball team went 1-1 in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader at Montreat on Monday afternoon. The Buffs' comeback attempt fell just short as Montreat won game one 4-3 and Milligan bounced back with a 10-1 run-rule victory in game two.

The Buffs move to 12-6 on the year and 8-6 in AAC league play. Montreat moves to 6-25, 2-12 AAC.

Game 1 – Montreat 4, Milligan 3

The opening game of the doubleheader had six of its seven runs scored in the final two half-innings as Montreat escaped with a dramatic 4-3 victory.

The Cavaliers led 1-0 with a pair of two-out doubles in the first inning. Neither team would bring a run home again until the sixth.

Montreat's lead grew to 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth after the Cavs belted a three-run homer.

McCoy Hensley led off the top of the seventh with a base hit. She advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a pinch hit single by Alexis Brown.

Katie Cronin and Kate Pendleton both recorded two-out singles to load the bases with two outs. Hanna Taylor brought home Brown and Cronin with a base knock to center field to bring the score to 4-3.

Layney Loyd came through with a hit up the middle, but pinch runner Sadie Shoun was tagged out after overrunning second base moments before Pendleton made it to home plate to tie the game as the hosts held on for the one-run victory.

Cronin had three of the Buffs' 10 hits in the ballgame. Taylor drove in two of Milligan's three runs in the seventh.

Erin Forgety pitched six innings and gave up four runs, three earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts.

Game 2 – Milligan 10, Montreat 1 (5 innings)

The Buffs rushed out to a 10-0 lead over the first four innings as the Buffs ran away with a run-rule victory in game two.

Milligan brought home four runs in the first inning with Brown, Pendleton, Loyd and Maggie Johnson each drove in a run to give the Buffs a 4-0 lead after the first half inning.

Milligan's lead grew to 8-0 with a run in the second and three runs in the third. Pendleton belted a two-run home run, the Buffs' first homer of the season, to push the lead to 10-0. Montreat scored a run in the fifth but could not extend the ballgame as it ended with a 10-1 margin.

Pendleton was the winning pitcher as she allowed one hit and no runs in 4.2 innings. She struck out three and walked one.

Cronin had three hits, an RBI and run scored. Brown, Pendleton and Loyd each had two hits. Pendleton drove in three runs and scored twice. Brown and Haley Vigil each scored twice.

Milligan returns to action this weekend with conference doubleheaders at Point and Reinhardt on Saturday and Sunday.