Softball Takes Two Games from Milligan

ATHENS, Tenn.- The softball team was back at Athens Regional Park for a doubleheader on Friday. The team faced the Milligan University Lady Buffaloes in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series.

Game One:

At the end of the third inning, Tennessee Wesleyan led 5-0. Emily Higgins recorded the first run of the game when Macy Chastain, who was standing on third by this at-bat, scored on Emily Higgins' fielder's choice. 

Mackenzie Baldwin started the second inning with a single, moving to second on a Hallie DeArman sacrifice bunt and third on a ground out. Baldwin scored on Chastain's single to center field. As Chastain, who had moved to third on Courtney Sneed's single, and Sneed, who stood on second after the throw to third, was waiting on the bases, their wait came to an end when Bailee Phillips hit a single to center field that gave the runners both the chance to score, making the score 4-0. The fifth run of the game occurred in the third inning.

After reaching base on an error, Baldwin completed the base running portion of the game when she scored on Carlynn Atamaniuk's single, giving the team a 5-0 lead. By the end of the sixth inning, Milligan had pulled within one run of the lead. Three straight outs in the top of the seventh gave the TWU a 5-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader.

Madison Stott got the pitching win while Isabella Jenkins was credited with a save.

Game Two:

After falling behind by a run in the top of the first inning, Higgins helped the team take the lead in the bottom of the first. Chastain became the tying run after reaching base with a single, moving to second on a stolen base. Higgins became the leading run as she sent a ball flying over the fence, scoring her and Chastain to give the team a 2-1 lead. Sneed scored in the third inning on a Baldwin single to make the score 3-1 as the team looked for the sweep. Three more runs were scored by the Lady Bulldogs in the fourth inning.

Caroline Moore opened the inning with a single and stole second. Moore moved to third on an error on Sneed's at-bat, scoring on Taylor Penning's single. Higgins made the score 5-1 with her single up the middle bringing Sneed across home plate. Penning was the final run of the game in the team's 6-2 victory, scoring on Phillips' single to right field, completing the AAC sweep with the game two win.

Higgins led the offense with three RBIs. Phillips was in the circle for the team in the game, striking out 11 batters in the complete game effort. 

Tennessee Wesleyan (14-7, 11-3 AAC) go on the road Saturday to face Kentucky Christian University in a conference doubleheader. The first game is set for 2:00 p.m.