WEST POINT, Ga. (March 8, 2019) â€" After winning game one in commanding fashion, the Milligan College softball team settled for a split doubleheader at Point University Friday afternoon in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. Both games were decided 3-1.
 
Milligan, which started the season slow, won its six game in the last 10 to improve to 6-10 (4-4 AAC). Freshman pitcher Erin Forgety received both decisions and moved to 3-5 overall this season. She struck out a career-high 10 hitters in game one.
 
Forgety fans 10 in game one
Forgety slung one of the best games of her young career in Milligan's opening-game win. With a winning line of seven innings, five hits, one (unearned) run, one walk and a career-high 10 strikeouts, Forgety picked up her third win of the season with a masterful performance. Forgety carried a perfect game into the fourth inning and a no-hitter into the sixth after striking out eight of the first 11 batters she faced. The only run she gave up followed two Milligan errors in the sixth.
 
By then, Savannah Nocera and Neelee Griffith had already given Forgety a 3-0 lead. Nocera broke the scoreless tie with an RBI double to left field with one out in the sixth, scoring Erica Roller. Griffith blasted a two-out, two-run homer two batters later to give Forgety all the comfort she would need.
 
Kirstan Beaver finished the first game 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Forgety threw her fourth complete game in eight appearances this season. Griffith's home run was her first of the season and 12th of her career.
 
Milligan falls short in game two
Griffith and Lindsey Slagle produced Milligan's only run of the game-two loss. It came in the fourth inning with Griffith leading off with a walk. A single and a sacrifice bunt later, Slagle came in as a pinch hitter and provided a sacrifice fly to left. The run made it 2-1 after Point had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, but it was all Milligan would show. Point added one more run in the fifth thanks to a pair of Milligan errors to round out the scoring.
 
Forgety made the start inside the circle in game two as well, but came up on the short end. The freshman surrendered the two first-inning runs on a one-out single to right-center field and otherwise kept the Skyhawks off the bases, facing only three over the minimum over the next three innings.
 
Senior Kassi Butcher relieved Forgety in the fifth and pitched the final two innings, allowing only one (unearned) run on one hit with one strikeout. Griffith finished as one of five Buffs with a hit, going 1-for-1 with Milligan's only run.
 
Buffs coming off pair of losses at Bryan
Prior to Friday's trip to Point, Milligan went to Bryan earlier this week for a doubleheader looking to continue its recent run of form within the AAC. Instead, Milligan gave up five runs in the fifth inning of a game-one loss before losing game two on a walkoff hit in the 10th. Forgety gave up only five hits but also gave up five earned runs in game one. Butcher pitched a complete game plus some, striking out six, in the nightcap.
 
Up next
Pending weather and field conditions, Milligan will be home next Saturday, March 16, for a nonconference doubleheader against University of the Cumberlands. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. After that, the Buffs return to AAC action Tuesday, March 19, at Union College.