MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (April 8, 2017) â€" The Milligan College baseball team hosted Appalachian Athletic Conference rival Bluefield College for a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon with positioning in the conference standings on the line. The Buffs were busy at the plate, reaching double figures in both games which led to 11-3 and 10-5 victories.
 
Milligan (18-20, 8-9 AAC) seized control of game one early, scoring seven runs in the first three innings. The Buffs did the most damage in the second inning, rallying for five runs. With two outs and two runners on, Jascanel Ferreras sent the 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for his second home run of the year. Later in the inning, Chris Patterson and Clayton Conner came up with back to back RBI doubles to extend Milligan's lead to 6-1.
 
Effectively sealing the game for Milligan, the Buffs added four more runs in the top of the sixth. With two runners on and no outs, Patterson went deep for his team high twelfth home run of the year. Patterson finished game one with four RBI's, two hits, and two runs. In the top of the seventh, Dustin Cole came in relief of starter Jacob Littleton and finished off the Rams for the 11-3 win. Littleton went six innings with four strikeouts and allowed two runs, only one of which was earned.
 
The Milligan offense did not cool off for game two and continued to score in bunches. After a grand slam put Bluefield up 4-1 in the top of the third, the Buffs rebounded with four runs of their own to retake the lead. With the bases loaded, Ryan Young doubled to deep right-center and scored Ferreras and Andrew Copas to make the score 4-3. Next batter, Justin Pearson singled to center and sent Conner and Young home to regain the lead.
 
Milligan took command of the game in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs. With two outs and the bases loaded, Conner popped up to shallow center where the ball landed before the Bluefield centerfielder, shortstop or second baseman could get to it, allowing all three baserunners to reach home. During the next at bat, Young sent the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a two run home run, his seventh of the year. From that point on, Milligan cruised to the 10-5 win.
 
Patterson and Conner both finished with five RBI's for the day, while Ferreras went five for eight and scored five runs.
 
The Buffs and Rams will wrap up the series Sunday on Anglin Field, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.