MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Feb. 23, 2014) â€" After nearly pulling off one of the most improbable comebacks in game one, the Milligan College softball team was forced to suspend a 3-0 lead in game two as darkness became an issue between the Buffaloes and Southern Wesleyan University Sunday evening at Anglin Field.
 
Milligan (0-5) rallied with six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of the opening game of the doubleheader but came up on the short end of a 7-6 decision. Chancli Connatser (0-2) was saddled the loss despite giving up only two earned runs over four innings.
 
Southern Wesleyan (3-2) homered off Connatser twice in the fourth inning, one of which came after a two-out error allowed the Warriors inning to prolong. SWU's Lizzie Fela hit a two-run shot to center with one out, and Katie Jacoby smacked a three-run homer with two out. Both long balls were hit on a full count.
 
The Warriors added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh when they strung together a pair of hits with another Milligan error. Milligan committed five errors in all in game one.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, back-to-back singles by Ashley Arnold and Samantha Mahala were followed by a trio of walks to set up Kimberly Robinson's bases-loaded double that drove in two and made the score 7-4. With runners on second and third and one out, Makenzie Lilley then delivered a run-scoring single to left which put the tying run on base.
 
Chelsey Weaver drove in the sixth run on a sacrifice fly that scored Robinson, but Milligan could not push Lilley across to bring the game back to a tie.
 
Connatser threw four innings and gave up five runs (two earned) on five hits and no walks while striking out four. Mahala relieved Connatser for the final three innings, allowing four hits and two runs (none earned) with a walk and a strikeout.
 
At the dish, Mahala led the Buffaloes with a 2-for-2 outing.
 
Six other Buffs recorded single hits, including Robinson who was 1-for-2 with two RBI's and a run scored. She also walked twice.
 
For Southern Wesleyan, Fela and Jacoby finished 1-for-4. Allison Barbee was 2-for-3 with two runs.
 
In the unofficial game two, Krista Lambdin homered to lead off the bottom of the third before adding an RBI-double to right an inning later. Robinson drove in the Buffs other run on a double down the right field line that scored Natalie Sheffey all the way from first.
 
Robinson threw four scoreless innings, scattering three hits and a walk, but due to the teams only completing four innings, nothing from game two can officially count.
 
Milligan heads to Montreat College Saturday, March 1 for the conference-opening series against the Cavaliers. The doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start in Montreat, N.C. Milligan will be back home the following Friday and Sunday for doubleheaders against Bryan and Union.