KINGSPORT, Tenn. (April 28, 2016) â€" A strong performance by Jessica Goodson and a five-run third inning propelled the Buffaloes to a win over Point University, and a four-run second inning against Tennessee Wesleyan College put them up for good as the Milligan College Softball tea m won twice during day three of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament at Brickyard Park. Milligan defeated Point 6-1 earlier in the day before coming from behind early to upset Tennessee Wesleyan 8-5.
 
In addition to moving the fifth-seeded Buffs' record to 27-17 overall, Thursday's wins made Milligan one of only three teams remaining in the tournament as six-seeded Point and third-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan were both eliminated by Milligan. The Buffs will now play second-seeded Bryan College at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 28. With a win Friday morning, Milligan will then need back-to-back victories over first-seeded Reinhardt University to claim the championship.
 
While Goodson (11-8) limited Point to only one run, four hits and no walks with three strikeouts through five innings, the Buffs exploded for all of the runs they would need in the third inning. Three straight one-out singles by Goodson, Caroline Testerman and Natalie Sheffey loaded the bases before Jenna Gilbert, Kimberly Robinson, Kacie Skeen and Jessica Wheelock each collected runs batted in during the big inning. Skeen's RBI came on a squeeze bunt where Sheffey just beat the toss back to home.
 
Cayley Shoemaker and Kassi Butcher combined to toss the final two innings against the Skyhawks to give Goodson the rest she needed to start off against Tennessee Wesleyan. Shoemaker gave up one walk and got a punch out in her inning, while Butcher struck out two and went 1-2-3 to end it.
 
Next, down 3-0 against the Lady Bulldogs, an opposite-field home run by Robinson started another big inning for Milligan in which the Buffs tied the game and then took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Testerman to score Butcher.
 
The end of the third inning featured the TWC center field robbing Skeen of a solo home run as the Buffs missed opportunities to tack on insurance runs in the third and fourth frames. However, just like in the third inning against Point, four Buffs recorded an RBI in the fifth against TWC as Robinson, Skeen, Gilbert and Shoemaker widened the gap to 8-3.
 
Shoemaker earned the win against TWC and improved her record to an impressive 7-1 on the season. Butcher was again good in the circle, holding the Lady Bulldogs to three innings of one hit, one walk with no earned runs and three strikeouts as Milligan put some distance on the scoreboard. Robinson then got the final two out for her third save.
 
Robinson was a combined 3-for-6 with three RBI's and two runs scored on the day. Shoemaker was 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI against the Lady Bulldogs, Skeen was 2-for-3 while adding two runs and one RBI, and in the Point matchup, Goodson was the only Buff with multiple hits (2-for-3), while Gilbert drew a pair of free passes.
 
Next up, Milligan will head to the fourth day of the AAC Tournament needing three wins to take home the championship and an automatic berth to the NAIA Opening Round.