LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (Feb. 24, 2016) â€" After three of the previous four meetings with the Grizzlies were decided by only one run and the remaining game went nine innings, the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader held serve as the Milligan College softball team came up just short in a 5-4, nine-inning decision to No. 21 Georgia Gwinnett College in the series opener on a rainy Wednesday at the Grizzly Softball Complex. The Buffaloes never got a rally going in the second game as they fell 6-0.

With the defeats, Milligan's record evened back up at 4-4 overall as Georgia Gwinnett (11-3) snapped the Buffs' three-game winning streak and extended its own winning streak to nine games.

It was not until the top of the fourth inning when Milligan's first two hits of game one came on back-to-back singles by Jessica Wheelock and Jessica Goodson. Although the Buffs were unable to push across a run, the hits helped give the Buffs some confidence and momentum heading in the later innings.

A one-out double by Jessica Connatser followed by a base knock from Natalie Sheffey in the top of the fifth scored Milligan's first run of the game. A single by Samantha Lilley in the next at-bat, followed by a double steal put runners on second and third with one out. Then, with two out, a throwing error by the Grizzles' Kodi Ricketson on a ground ball by Wheelock brought in the tying runs to make the score 3-3.

Kassi Butcher, Milligan's starter in both games, gave up big second innings in both games as Georgia Gwinnett scored three times in the second inning of game one, two of which were earned, then put up a five-spot in the second inning of game two. The Grizzles' five-run inning came with a combination of three singles, a triple and a three-run homer, all with two out, to end Butcher's day in the circle.

In the first game, Goodson entered to pitch in the third inning with two out and a runner on third, and proceeded to retire each of the first seven batters she faced. However, Georgia Gwinnett's first hit off of Goodson, a single to shallow center that died in the wet grass in the sixth inning, brought in the go-ahead run from second base, Alycia Fields, who reached on a dropped popup in the infield before stealing second.

In the top of the seventh, Milligan responded with a game-tying hit by Erica Roller that brought in Madison Grindstaff before Rachel Coffey was tagged out at home to end the inning after a throw from the left fielder. Grindstaff pinch ran for Lilley, who hit a one-out single to get the inning started, and Coffey ran for Kimberly Robinson, who followed Lilley's at-bat with a walk.

Goodson then retired the Grizzles 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, and used three straight infield pop-ups to get out of a jam in the eighth. The inning saw a runner at third with nobody out with the international tiebreaker rule in effect.

After the winning run scored in the bottom of the ninth in game one, Goodson (2-2) took the loss, tossing 5.1 innings and only allowing four hits, one walk and one earned run on two runs. Katie Lange (3-2) came on in relief for Grizzles' starter Ashley Beyke in the sixth inning, and pitched four innings of two-hit, one-run softball with three strikeouts and three walks to earn the win.

In game two, Milligan only brought three batters to the plate in each of the first, second and fourth innings, but had a bases loaded chance with two out in the third. Caroline Testerman walked, Connatser singled for the Buffs' first hit, and Sheffey drew the free pass to bring up Robinson with the bags full. Robinson, however, grounded out to end the Buffs' only real threat of the game.

The Buffs put runners on second and third in the final inning as Kelley Sorenson singled and Kelsey Linn walked with nobody out. The pair each moved up a base on Testerman's sacrifice bunt two batters later, but would go no further as a groundout concluded the game.

Butcher (1-1) was handed the game two loss by allowing five hits and five runs in two innings. For Georgia Gwinnett, Katie Jo Goodwin (2-0) earned the game two win with a four-hit complete game, striking out five while only surrendering three walks.

Next up, Milligan returns home to Anglin Field on Saturday, Feb. 27, for two games against North Greenville University.