MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (March 9, 2016) â€" It was early runs in the first game that came back to bite the Buffaloes, but it was three first-inning runs in game two that catapulted the Milligan College softball team to split with Bryan College Wednesday afternoon at Anglin Softball Field. Milligan's comeback effort in game one fell short, 6-4, before the Buffs bounced back for the 3-2 win in the finale.

Milligan (9-7 overall) kicked off the Appalachian Athletic Conference campaign with a 1-1 start, while Bryan, who is currently receiving votes in the NAIA national poll, saw its overall record move to 9-7 as well. The Lady Lions conference record also moved to 4-2 for a league-best four victories, while the Buffs earned their fifth win in seven games.

Caroline Testerman combined to go 4-for-5 in the two games while Cayley Shoemaker and Jessica Connatser both scored twice, and Jessica Wheelock had two RBI's to give her 10 on the season.

The Buffs led off game two in the bottom half of the first inning with a leadoff single by Connatser, followed by a walk by Natalie Sheffey. Wheelock then hit an RBI double to bring in Connatser before Kacie Skeen reached first on a safety squeeze that scored Sheffey.

Skeen then stole second, drawing a throw by the Bryan catcher to allow Wheelock to cross the plate and give Milligan the 3-0 lead it would need to hold on to the victory.

Milligan, however, who finished with five steals through only four innings, was nearly haunted in the end by leaving potential insurance runs on base. The Buffs stranded runners on second and third in the first inning, then left a runner on second in each of the next three innings, and finished by leaving runners on second and third in the sixth.

Shoemaker helped the Buffs get off to a strong start in game two as she pitched three innings of three-hit, no-run softball with only one walk before giving way to Kimberly Robinson (1-1) in the fourth. Robinson allowed two runs in 2.2 innings pitched while also giving up four hits and two walks, and she was credited with the win.

With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth in a one-run ballgame, Robinson stepped up with her second strikeout of the game before Jessica Goodson got out of the inning without allowing the tying run to score. The final out was recorded on a terrific diving catch by Wheelock behind the plate. Goodson then finished off the game in the seventh for her second save of the season.

The Lady Lions come out swinging in game one, putting up four hits in the first inning, including three straight singles to start, to open up a 2-0 advantage. Bryan's Mariam Wood's third home run of the season came in the second inning when she hit one off the top of the fence in right field to make it 3-1 after Sheffey hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Shoemaker in the first for Milligan.

Kassi Butcher then entered to pitch in the third inning and held the Lady Lions scoreless through the next three innings, recording two strikeouts and six groundouts while retiring the first eight batters she faced. Just like in the first inning, however, three singles to start the sixth inning for Bryan led to two more runs and a 6-1 advantage.

Milligan battled back in the bottom of the sixth to bring in three runs and load the bags with only one out before back-to-back strikeouts left the tying and go-ahead runs on base.

Goodson (4-3) took the game one loss, giving up six hits and four runs, only two of which were earned, in two innings. Katie Sims (5-3) got the win for Bryan, going 5.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, four runs, three of which were earned, and striking out five. Sarah Hundley (2-2) got the game one save with 1.2 innings of no-hit ball with only one walk, but she suffered the game-two loss despite throwing a complete game.

Next up, Milligan continues its four-date home stand with doubleheaders against North Greenville University and Point University this week. The Buffs host the Crusaders of North Greenville on Thursday, March 10, at 1 p.m., and then play the Skyhawks of Point on Saturday, March 12, also at 1 p.m.