Softball clinches spot in AAC Tournament with doubleheader sweep at Bryan

DAYTON, Tenn. (April 15, 2023) – The Milligan University softball team clinched a spot in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament with a doubleheader sweep at Bryan on Saturday afternoon. The Buffs topped the Lions 7-3 and 10-6 to secure a berth in the eight-team conference tournament.

Coming into the day, Milligan was eighth in the AAC standings and Bryan was ninth. The Buffs move to 19-11 on the season and 15-11 in AAC play. Bryan falls to 112-24, 9-13 AAC. Milligan has two games left to play while Bryan has six conference contests left. However, even if Bryan wins out, the Buffs will own the head-to-head tiebreaker to get into the AAC Tournament.

Game 1 – Milligan 7, Bryan 3

Bryan owned a 3-1 lead through the first four innings of game one before the Buffs came through with two runs in the fifth and four in the sixth.

Maggie Johnson drew a bases-loaded walk and Kate Pendleton lifted a sacrifice fly as the Buffs tied the game at three in the fifth.

In the sixth, Grace Jones gave the Buffs a 4-3 lead with an RBI single and scored on a triple off the bat of Katie Cronin. Cronin scored on Johnson's base hit to push Milligan's lead to 6-3. Later in the inning, Johnson came around on Kate Pendleton's RBI single. All four of the Buffs' runs in the inning were scored with two outs as Milligan had four straight hits to bring in the four runs.

Pendleton was Milligan's starting pitcher and allowed just one baserunner over the final three innings. She notched her eighth win of the season by allowing two earned runs in seven innings.

Jones and Cronin had two hits apiece. Cronin had a double, triple, two RBI and a run scored. Jones scored three times. Johnson and Pendleton each drove in a pair of runs.

Game 2 – Milligan 10, Point 6

Bryan opened the scoring in game two with six runs in the home half of the first inning. The Buffs struck back with five runs in the top of the second.

Stephanie Steele had an RBI single and Jones and Allee Griffith both had two-run base hits to bring the margin to 6-5.

Neither team scored over the next three innings as the Lions held on their one-run lead heading into the sixth.

The Buffs quickly loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth. Bailey Cantrell tied the game with an RBI single and Layney Loyd was hit by a pitch to bring home the go-ahead run. Griffith smacked another run-scoring single and two more runs came home on an error off the bat of Johnson as Milligan's lead grew to 10-6.

Griffith retired the Lions in order in the each of the final three innings to earn her first win of the season. She tossed 6.2 innings and allowed just four hits and no runs. She went 2-3 at the dish with three RBI.

Jones went 4-5 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. McCoy Hensley was 3-4 with a triple and two runs scored. Cronin scored twice and Johnson drove in a pair of runs. Cantrell was 2-4 with a run and an RBI.

Milligan closes its regular season conference slate with a home doubleheader against Brenau on Monday. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.