Milligan kicks off softball season with wins against Alice Lloyd
Published 8:49 am Thursday, February 9, 2023
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Star Photo/Ron Marvel Milligan Senior pitcher Erin Forgety sends home the first pitch of the season.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Lady Buffs Layney Loyd rips a double down the third baseline of the fifth inning in the Lady Buffs opener against Alice Lloyd.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Bree Presnell flashes some leather from the pitcher's circle knocking down the sharp grounder and firing to first base for the out in the second game.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Milligan University Head Softball Coach Wes Holly focuses on the batter. Coach Holly kicked off his 35th season yesterday as head coach at Milligan University.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
Despite what that groundhog said last week the Lady Buffs recently sent the community another message, spring is not that far away. The Milligan University Women’s Softball team hosted the Alice Lloyd College Eagles in a doubleheader Tuesday to kick off their season, and things couldn’t have gone much better as they swept the Lady Eagles from Pippa Passes Kentucky.
Game 1 – Milligan 12 Alice Lloyd 0 (5 innings)
Erin Forgety went five innings and gave up one hit off the mound flashing good control and speed’ keeping the Eagles off balance. Meanwhile, their offense racked up eight hits and showed good plate discipline early in the season, as they also picked up eight free passes. Alexis Brown would get the Buffs started in the first inning when she laced a sharp single to left to plate two runs. The Buffs would score four runs in total in their first inning to take a 4-0 lead. Milligan would strike again in the third for another five runs; they would take advantage of five walks in the inning and yet another base hit, a double this time that bounced off the center-field fence would plate two as Alexis Brown would pad her RBI total for the day. Elizabethton’s own Maggie Johnson would get into the action collecting a walk and an RBI in the inning
Milligan would plate three more in the fourth inning as they would benefit from a walk cushioned between two doubles off the bats of Hanna Taylor and Laney Loyd and then Forgety would give up one walk in the fifth, but then produce two groundballs to end the game.
Game 2-Milligan 5 Alice Lloyd 1
Two Freshmen, Science Hill’s Bree Presnell and Unaka’s Sadie Shoun would tag-team to go six innings giving up one hit and one earned run to pace Milligan in the second game. Alexis Brown and Hanna Taylor continued their onslaught at the plate picking up RBIs in the first inning off back-to-back doubles and knocking in Bailey Cantrell, who had walked earlier in the inning. Gate City product Kate Pendleton scored an insurance run in the fifth after she doubled to start the inning off.
After the game long time Milligan Coach Wes Holly, who is starting his 35th season, talked about what he and his staff were looking for in this opener. “we have only been on the field twice; I think we responded pretty good we could tell some were a little bit nervous this will give them a chance to settle in and relax and start playing Milligan Softball.” The Lady Buffaloes will next host Carolina University on Saturday, February 18 at 1 pm.
