JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — On Thursday afternoon, Milligan University's softball team took on a significant challenge, facing the NCAA Division II Carson-Newman University Eagles away from the comforts of Anglin Field. The high-achieving Eagles dealt the Buffaloes a difficult loss in a five-inning game one, 11-2, and then handed MU an 11-4 loss on the back end of the doubleheader.

The difficulty began for MU in the very first inning, as C-N scored five times to take a 5-0 lead in the opening frame. Three hits, three walks, a hit-by-pitch and a fielding error led to the outburst, which put the Buffs in an early hole.

Carson-Newman tacked on another tally in the bottom of the second on a leadoff solo homer to left field to make it 6-0.

With the Buffaloes still off the scoreboard, the Eagles tallied another five spot in the bottom of the third, when three straight singles with one out were followed by a RBI HBP, a two-run automatic double and a two-run single. An 11-0 deficit stared Milligan in the face with the potential for four more full innings to be played.

Milligan held C-N off the board in the fourth, giving themselves a chance to prolong the game with four runs in the top of the fifth. They had an Alana Parsons walk and a Hannah Bates double to left-center field to put runners at second and third with just one out. Sadie Shoun would deliver a sacrifice bunt to bring Parsons across for the first MU run of the tilt, also advancing Bates to third on the play. An Ashley Worley single to right chased Bates home, cutting the deficit to nine runs at 11-2. That is where the rally would end, though, as the Eagles won 11-2 in a five-inning, run-rule finish.

Game two began in a much more encouraging fashion, as the Buffs received a leadoff homer from Haley Vigil down the left-field line, making it 1-0. After a single by Kaylee Oleg and a pair of putouts by C-N, Jordan Roulettwheeler laced a single down the left-field line to score Oler from second base after she stole the bag. It was 2-0 at that point, but the lead became four runs on the subsequent two-run homer to dead center by Parsons, marking her fourth round-tripper of the campaign.

The Eagles would respond with a two-run shot of their own in the bottom of the first to cut their deficit to just two runs at 4-2 after one full frame.

Following a single and a stolen base by Carson-Newman to lead off the bottom of the third, another single drove in that runner to make it a 4-3 ballgame in the Buffs' favor after three.

Milligan would surrender the lead for the first time in the contest in the bottom of the fourth, as a two-out, two-run single by C-N made it a 5-4 advantage for the Eagles. Then a RBI double pushed the edge to 6-4 with three innings left to be played.

A sacrifice fly from Carson-Newman in the bottom of the fifth inning made it a 7-4 score in the hosts' favor.

Finally, an outburst by C-N in the bottom of the sixth nearly ended the game prematurely, as they tallied four more runs on a pair of RBI doubles and a two-run two-bagger. It was 11-4 after six and would remain that way until the tilt's conclusion.

Parsons (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Vigil (2-for-7, HR, RBI, R) and Roulettwheeler (2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R) each supplied a pair of hits on the day, while the remaining four came from Worley, Bates, Oler and Shoun.

Game one was a tough one for the Milligan hurlers, as Kateline Secrist was roughed up to the tune of five runs (four earned) in just 0.1 innings in her start in the circle. Shoun followed her with two innings of four-run ball on four hits allowed, and Bree Presnell closed it out with 1.2 innings of two-run work on three hits allowed.

Abigail Teubert began the second game in top form for the Buffalo, as she held the Eagles at bay until the fifth inning when they roared ahead. All told she spun four innings with six earned runs allowed on nine hits. Roulettwheeler pitched for 1.2 frames and allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits. Secrist closed out the contest by retiring the lone batter she faced.

Milligan (14-10, 9-3 AAC) will put the loss behind them and head to Columbia, S.C. for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader at the Columbia College Koalas on Saturday, March 28. First pitch of game one is set for 2 p.m.