Milligan College, Tenn. (March 15, 2013) --- The Milligan College baseball team split a pair of games on Friday afternoon with Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Point University at Anglin Field. The Buffaloes were unable to hold off a seventh inning rally as they fell 8-6, but Milligan used a walkoff single in the night cap to take a 7-6 victory.
 
   After the Skyhawks plated two runs in the top of the first, Milligan struck for three runs in the home side of the inning as Luke Kirk (Gate City, Va.), Brett Mercurio (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Brandon Malone (Maryville, Tenn.) drove a run in apiece. Mercurio scored in the bottom of the third to give Milligan a 3-2 lead heading into the fourth inning.
 
   The Skyhawks battled back to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the fifth inning. However, Milligan answered in the home side of the inning as Kirk scored on a Malone sacrifice fly and Tyree Jefferies (Jackson, Tenn.) drove Mercurio across home plate to take a 6-4 lead. Point added a run in the sixth inning to close the gap, and then scored three runs in the top of the seventh to regain the lead. The Buffaloes got a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the frame, but they were unable to mount a rally.
 
   Mercurio led the way at the plate as he was 2-for-3 with a RBI. Kirk finished the game 1-for-3 with a RBI, while Cody Hyder (Elizabethton, Tenn.) was 1-for-3.
 
   Brent Whittington (North Wilkesboro, N.C.) recorded a no-decision in five innings of work as he allowed three earned runs on seven hits. Jake Howell (Johnson City, Tenn.) was handed the loss as he allowed three runs on four hits.
 
   The Skyhawks opened the scoring in the second game as they took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. The Buffaloes responded as Corey McPherson (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Sam Tarlton (Chuckey, Tenn.) crossed home plate on a Mercurio double. Milligan capped off the inning when Malone drove in Kirk to take a 3-2 lead.
 
   The Buffaloes added a single run in the second inning when McPherson scored on a Mercurio single, and Jefferies gave Milligan a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the third inning when he scored on a Mercurio single. After a scoreless fourth inning, the Skyhawks pulled within one run as they scored two runs in the frame.
 
   Milligan saw Hyder reach base with a double, but the Buffaloes were unable to drive the run home. Point loaded the bases in the top of the sixth. However, Milligan escaped the inning cleanly, and then added to their lead with a Jefferies RBI single.
 
   The Skyhawks battled back to tie the game with two runs in the top of the seventh. Milligan, however, went to work as they quickly loaded the bases, and Tarlton drove in the winning run in with a single.
 
   Ethan Fleenor (Johnson City, Tenn.) recorded a no-decision in the start. In five innings of work, Fleenor allowed two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Sean Robinson (Knoxville, Tenn.) picked up the win as he allowed just one hit.
 
   Kirk led the way at the plate as he went 4-for-4, while Malone was 2-for-4 with a double.
 
   Milligan moves to 11-12 overall and 3-4 in AAC action.
 
   The Buffaloes will wrap up the three-game series with Point on Saturday, March 16, with a nine-inning game. First pitch at Anglin Field is set for 12 p.m.