MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (April 9, 2014) â€" A failure to produce runs doomed the Milligan College softball team to a doubleheader sweep (3-0 and 4-0) against Columbia College at Anglin Field on Wednesday.
 
Milligan (17-12, 13-3 AAC) pounded out 13 hits on the afternoon but left 13 stranded in the team's first conference sweep of the season. Taylor McGinnis and Jessica Goodson notched two hits apiece to lead the Buffaloes in game one, and Natalie Sheffey and Maleah Wolfenbarger had two apiece in game two. But as a team, Milligan was 3-for-21 with runners on base and 0-for-7 with someone in scoring position.
 
Columbia (21-13, 8-8 AAC), on the other hand, seemed to receive hits in the most timely circumstances. Starting pitcher Chancli Connatser held the Fighting Koalas to one hit through the first four innings of game one but surrendered a run in the fifth when Columbia played small ball to plate the first run. An inning later, two doubles plated another, and the Koalas rounded out the scoring with more small ball in the seventh.
 
Connatser (10-6) allowed eight hits total, three earned runs and two walks while striking out five.
 
In game two, Columbia scored a run on back-to-back singles in the first inning before Kelsey Pruitt pushed two across in the second with a bases-loaded double.
Starting pitcher Kimberly Robinson matched Connatser with a complete game eight-hitter but wound up taking the loss as well. Robinson (4-3) gave up four runs (three earned) and seven walks and struck out three.
 
Columbia's Erin Walker (13-8) fired complete games in both contests, striking out five on the way to her league second-best 13th win. She walked only one.
 
Sheffey, in addition to her 2-for-2 effort in game two, added three outfield assists in the nightcap, bringing her season total to a team-high five. Sheffey threw out two runners at the plate.
 
Milligan hosts Point University (12-22, 6-10 AAC) on Friday, April 11 before welcoming nonconference foe Georgia Gwinnett on Saturday. Both doubleheaders are scheduled for 2 p.m. starts.