MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (April 2, 2014) â€" First place in the Appalachian Athletic Conference still belongs to the Milligan College softball team as the Buffaloes rebounded from an 8-0 defeat in game one and beat No. 11 Reinhardt University 10-5 in game two to split a doubleheader at Anglin Field on Wednesday.
 
Milligan (14-9, 11-1) saw its eight-game winning streak and perfect conference record vanish in a five-inning, run-ruled loss in game one but showed resilience in game two, bouncing back from an early deficit to earn the doubleheader split.
 
The Buffaloes trailed 2-0 in the top of the first after Reinhardt (33-8, 13-3) designated player Kaley Garmon's two-out, two-run double began game two in almost the exact same way it began game one. The biggest difference was that the Buffaloes responded with five runs in the bottom of the first, then Kimberly Robinson put the game away with a three-run homer in the second.
 
Milligan scored four of the five first-inning runs with two out. Chancli Connatser and Lindsey Keys dealt the most damage with back-to-back two-RBI singles. Connatser's base hit gave the Buffs their first lead at 3-2.
 
Connatser finished game two 1-for-2 with two RBI's and a run and added four innings inside the circle. She gave up only three hits, walked seven and struck out three in the start while taking the first winning decision against the nationally-ranked Lady Eagles since March 14.
 
Reinhardt starting pitcher Madison Luck was the losing pitcher in game two, lasting only 1.1 innings (although she re-entered in the fifth) and giving up nine hits, a walk and seven runs (all earned). Luck was relieved midway through the second by Carleigh Myatt whose first pitch was sent over the left-centerfield fence by Robinson, making it 8-2.
 
Robinson picked up the save in a three-inning relief role. She struck out one, walked one and gave up two hits and no runs.
 
Natalie Sheffey hit safely in her first two plate appearances and finished game two 3-for-4 with two runs.
 
Game one (8-0, Reinhardt)
 
Starting pitcher Robinson, after allowing Reinhardt to load the bases with nobody out, managed to keep the Lady Eagles scoreless until Garmon's two-out, base-clearing double scored three in the top of the first. Milligan was held to only two hits across five scoreless innings, and Reinhardt put the run rule into effect with a solo home run in the third and a pair of two-run shots in the fourth.
 
Luck threw all five innings for Reinhardt and was the winning pitcher. She faced only two over the minimum and struck out four.
 
Jessica Goodson, who worked three innings from the pen, accounted for one of Milligan's hits (1-for-1). Jessica Connatser had the other and finished 1-for-2.
 
Krista Lambdin, who rode into Wednesday's doubleheader on a 20-game hitting streak, was 0-for-2 in two plate appearances in game one. She went 1-for-4 with a run in game two.
 
Milligan will hit the road for the final road trip of the season, heading to Truett-McConnell College (10-27, 2-10 AAC) on Saturday, April 5 and Georgia Gwinnett College on Sunday, April 6. The Buffs are back at home Wednesday, April 9 for the makeup against Columbia College.