No. 18 Softball Splits Road Series Against Milligan

Elizabethton, Tenn.- After going on the road for a non-conference game the day before, #18 softball was back on the road Thursday. The team traveled for a conference doubleheader against the Milligan University Lady Buffaloes.

Game One:

In the first game of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup, Milligan was the first team to get on the scoreboard, scoring a run in the bottom of the second. TWU responded in the top of the third.

Destiny Painter hit a double to get on base with two outs already in the inning. Caroline Moore came to the plate and hit a ball which caused an error, allowing the batter to move to second and giving Painter time to get across home plate to score. The score remained 1-1 after the end of the third.

In the fifth, the score changed. Unfortunately, the opponents scored to move ahead 2-1. Milligan scored again in the sixth inning to put the Lady Bulldogs in a 3-1 hole to begin the seventh inning.

The comeback attempt saw Courtney Sneed get on base to open the first, but getting out at second on a Malyssa Jeter single. Pinch-runner Emma Clevinger moved to second on a Taylor Penning single and scored on a Hallie DeArman single to cut the deficit to one run. The third out of the inning occurred before the team could tie the score to extend the game, dropping game one 3-2.

Cheyenne Strong had eight strikeouts on the mound.

Game Two:

Through the first three innings of the second game, the teams exchanged runs. Fortunately for TWU, the team scored the first run of the game.

After a double play put two outs on the board in the first inning, Emily Mikkola kept the inning going with a single. Courtney Sneed brought the first run aboard with a triple as Mikkola made her way around the bases to make the score 1-0. Milligan tied the score in the second inning.

In the third inning, Mikkola scored again for the Lady Bulldogs. This time getting on base via a hit by pitch and advancing to second on a Sneed single. Mikkola moved to third on a Penning-caused error and scored on a Jeter single to make the lead 2-1, the score the team went on to win the game by as the remaining innings remained scoreless.

Jeter and Sneed had RBIs in the game. Baylie Davis had two strikeouts in the complete game effort.

Up next for Tennessee Wesleyan (9-6, 5-1 AAC) is a road series against Johnson University on Wednesday. The doubleheader is set to begin at 3:00 p.m.