Milligan College Team effort leads to big AAC sweep

Recap, photo courtesy of Milligan College

MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (April 6, 2018) – The Milligan College softball team won their eighth straight, fourth straight sweep, of the season against Allen University on Friday afternoon after honoring three seniors, Rachel Coffey, Jenna Gilbert and Cayley Shoemaker. The Buffs (18-10, 11-3 AAC) won both games in five innings, 19-0 and 21-0.

GAME ONE
Freshman Neelee Griffith blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence, her sixth of the season, on a 1-1 count in the bottom of the first to get Milligan started off on the right foot. Nonetheless, similar to game one at Bluefield earlier this week, fellow freshman Kaylee Frascatore piggybacked off Griffith's homer with one herself over the left field fence. Three hits later Milligan touched home five more times to put them at an eight-run advantage.

Frascatore led off the second inning with another homer over the left field fence, her sixth of the season. The Buffs worked to score six more runs and six more hits that inning. Allen held Milligan to just one run in the third and registered three hits in the top of the fourth. Freshman Megan Grose hit a two-run home run deep down the right field line while fellow freshman Morgan Overholser homered over the center field fence to round out Milligan's game one runs.

GAME TWO
Milligan's momentum carried over into the bottom of the first of game two as the Buffs connected for 12 runs and 12 hits featuring Milligan's only home run of the game by Gilbert, over the left field fence, in which scored Tori Tipton. The Buffs touched home two more times in the bottom of the third but the Yellow Jackets held Milligan in the fourth.

NUMBERS
In game one, Frascatore led with three hits (3-for-3 effort) and three RBI'S. Griffith went 2-for-3 while tallying four RBI's. Gilbert and Kassi Butcher earned two hits apiece. The Buffs altogether registered 18 hits.

In game two, Madison Grindstaff led with a 3-for-3 effort and three RBI's alongside Erica Roller who went 4-for-4 while Gilbert went 3-for-4 and tallied three RBI's. Kirstan Beaver, Coffey, Savannah Nocera, Shoemaker and Tipton all earned two hits apiece. Coffey and Shoemaker also registered two RBI's apiece.

PITCHING
Butcher was given the win in game one allowing just two hits and earning five strikeouts moving her to 9-4 on the season. Josie Milam pitched the last two innings allowing three hits and striking out two.

Shoemaker earned the win in game two striking out four and allowing three hits while Jaclyn Jenkins closed out the game striking out five of seven batters and allowing one hit.

UP NEXT
The Buffs are back on the road for two more AAC doubleheaders on Tuesday, April 10, at Tennessee Wesleyan starting at 2 p.m. and on Saturday, April 14, at St. Andrews, beginning at 1 p.m. Milligan will return to Anglin Field on Monday, April 16, to face Reinhardt University in a doubleheader at 3 p.m.

Lady Bulldogs Follow Split With Sweep of Montreat

Athens, TN- The short rest between games did not affect the softball team on Tuesday, as they were playing less than 24 hours since their split against Maryville College. The team was back at Athens Regional Park for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader against the Montreat College Lady Cavaliers.

It was a slow start for the Lady Bulldogs though in the first game of the doubleheader against Lady Cavaliers when the visitors scored a run to lead 1-0 after the second inning. Tennessee Wesleyan took over in the third inning, beginning with Olivia Housewright's single. A Baylee Sutton double put runners in scoring position with Housewright moving to third. A run from Housewright did not come to fruition when she was caught in a rundown but Sutton moved to third on the rundown and scored on a wild pitch after a Courtney Black walk to give TWU a 1-1 tie, who moved to second on the wild pitch.

Two walks from Briana Muller and Allee West loaded the bases before a third consecutive walk by

#6 Georgia Defeats #7 Tennessee, 9-1

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 7/10 Tennessee fell to No. 6/6 Georgia 9-1 on Sunday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The Lady Vols (31-5, 4-4 SEC) were able to get a run on the board in the second inning as an Aubrey Leach single up the middle scored Amanda Ayala from second. The rest of the game, however, belonged to the Bulldogs (31-4, 8-3 SEC), who scored two runs in the first, two in the third, three in the fourth and two more in the sixth to put the game away in six innings. 

After being shut out on Saturday, the Bulldogs were aggressive from the get go. Cortni Emanuel led the game off with a single up the middle, and then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Justice Milz drove her in with a single of her own, before she was brought home two batters later on a double down the left field line from Alysen Febrey.

Caylan Arnold falls to 13-3 on the season with the loss. Arnold went 4.2 innings for the Lady Vols, recording two strikeouts while giving up eight runs. Kylie Bass earned the win for UGA, as she went six innings and allowed one run to improve to 11-1. 

Georgia went deep in both the third and fourth inning to pull away. In the third, Mahlena O'Neal stepped in with a runner on and took the first pitch over the center field fence. In the fourth, Milz made it 7-1 with a two-out, three-run shot to left field. Three Georgia players recorded two hits on the day.

Bats Power Vols to Sweep Over #10 Texas A&M

The freshmen duo of Aubrey Leach and Brooke Vines went 7-for-8 with five RBIs in Tennessee's 11-8 win over the Aggies on Sunday.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 17 Tennessee continued its hot hitting in Sunday's 11-8 victory over No. 10 Texas A&M to complete the series sweep and remain undefeated at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium this season.  

The freshmen duo of Aubrey Leach and Brooke Vines, batting one and two in the order, combined to go 7-for-8 with five runs and five RBIs on the afternoon. Leach set new career highs with four hits and four runs in the game. Sophomore Meghan Gregg also had a great day at the plate with two hits and three RBIs.

The Volunteers (31-10, 10-5 SEC) scored 11 runs for the second straight game and tallied 30 over the