Softball drops AAC doubleheader at Point

WEST POINT, Ga. (March 25, 2023) – The Milligan University softball team was defeated 2-1 and 10-0 in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader at Point on Saturday afternoon.

The Buffs fell to 12-8 on the year and 8-8 in conference play. Point rose to 18-14, 10-6 AAC.

Game 1 – Point 2, Milligan 1

Game one saw Milligan drop its sixth one-run ballgame in conference play as the Skyhawks edged the Buffs in a low-scoring game.

After not having a baserunner in the first two innings, McCoy Helsney led off the top of the third for Milligan with a base hit. She was sacrificed to second by Miranda Millington and scored on a single by Grace Jones to give the Buffs a 1-0 lead.

The Skyhawks responded in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles to open the frame before a one-out RBI double brought the score even at 1-1. With runners on second and third with one out, Point was primed to take the lead, but starting pitcher Erin Forgety struck out the next two batters to close the inning.

Point took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out single to score a runner from second base. The Skyhawks had a pair of hits in the fifth, but catch Layney Loyd threw out a runner attempting to steal and Point was held off the scoreboard in the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Maggie Johnson and Hensley both singled to open the inning. However a popup and two flyouts followed as the game-tying and go-ahead runs were stranded on base.

Forgety allowed just two runs on nine hits in the loss. She struck out five and walked one on the day.

The Buffs' bats were limited to just four hits, with two in the third and two in the seventh. Hensley was 2-3 with a run scored.

Game 2 – Point 10, Milligan 0 (5 innings)

Despite putting a baserunner on in every inning, Milligan was shut out in a run-rule game two defeat. The Buffs were 1-14 with runners on base and wound up stranding nine runners in five innings.

The Buffs drew a pair of walks in the top of the first inning of game two but were unable to break through with a run-scoring hit. Point opened up a 3-0 in the bottom of the first as the Skyhawks took advantage of a Milligan error to score two unearned runs.

The Buffs used a hit, error and hit batter to load the bases with two outs in the top of the second but a groundout ended the half inning. After a groundout to begin the bottom of the seventh, the next seven Skyhawk batters reached base safely as the host's lead grew to 7-0 by the end of the inning.

Milligan stranded two more baserunners in the third as the Buffs had a walk and base hit with two outs before a flyout closed the frame.

Point added a run in the third and two in the fourth to lead 10-0 after four innings.

Alexis Brown had both of Milligan's hits in the ballgame. The Buffs used four different pitchers in the contest.

Milligan's Georgia road trip continues tomorrow at Reinhardt.