GAINSVILLE, Ga. (April 20, 2018) â€" The Milligan College softball team traveled to Brenau University on Friday afternoon for their final Appalachian Athletic Conference regular season doubleheader. The Buffs (22-16, 15-9 AAC) split with the Golden Tigers (23-18, 12-10 AAC) dropping game one 3-2 and turning around to take game two by a large margin 13-6. 

BUFFS EARLY LEAD | LATE FALL

Right off the bat Milligan connected for a couple of hits while a Rachel Coffey single to shallow left-center scored the first run of the game. The Buffs held the Golden Tigers scoreless in the first inning regardless of two hits. Nonetheless, Milligan swung for two more hits and a run in the second inning to put them at a two-run advantage early on. 

Brenau responded with a run of their own after a pair of singles and a double and went on to match the Buffaloes with another run in the bottom of the sixth. With a tied game in the bottom of the sixth, Brenau's Lexi Cash doubled to shallow center to score the winning run (3-2).

BRENAU LEADS EARLY | FALLS LATE

The Golden Tigers touched home in the first inning and scored three more runs in the third off a three-run home run to make it 4-0 but it was only up from there for Milligan. The Buffs rose to the occasion in the fourth inning as five Buffs connected for five hits enabling Milligan's first four runs of the game to be scored. Kirstan Beaver's triple down the right field line pushed Taylor Begley home for the tying-run (4-4).

The Buffs scored two more runs in the fifth but it was the seventh inning that ultimately proved to be the difference. Freshman Savannah Nocera sparked a late rally with a two-run home run over the left field fence on a 0-0 count. Four hits later Milligan scored five more runs to put the game out of reach (13-4). Though Brenau responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh, the Buffs remained on top to secure their second straight split AAC series against No. 21 Brenau.

LEADERS

A few Buffs recorded two hits apiece in game one, Coffey, Jenna Gilbert and Nocera while Kassi Butcher added a hit of her own.

In game two, freshman Morgan Overholser led with a strong 4-for-4 effort, two RBI's while fellow freshman Nocera went 3-for-4, three RBI's. Gilbert followed with a 3-for-3 effort and Beaver with a 2-for-4 effort. Butcher and Roller tallied two RBI's apiece. Cayley Shoemaker was given the win after pitching four innings allowing just two hits, four runs and striking out one.

UP NEXT

The Buffs return to Anglin Field for their final regular season doubleheader against nonconference Tusculum College on Sunday, April 22, at 2 p.m. The AAC Tournament is set to begin Wednesday, April 25, in Kingsport, Tennessee.