SAVANNAH, GA (March 5, 2007) --- The Milligan College softball team started the Savannah College of Art and Design Smash Hit Softball Tournament Monday with a win over fellow Appalachian Athletic Conference member Bluefield (Va.) College 6-4. In their second game of the day, Milligan lost 7-0 against No. 6 Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) University. After the split on the day, the Lady Buffs are 7-5.

Milligan 6 Bluefield 4

Laken Stewart (Pennington Gap, Va.) started the opening contest with a double for the Lady Buffs. She moved up to third on a single from Leah Fritts (Knoxville, Tenn.) On the play, Bluefield’s pitcher, Allison Quesenberry, committed a throwing error which allowed Stewart to score and Fritts to advance. After a passed ball moved Fritts to third and Leah White (Gray, Tenn.) grounded out Jessica Blevins (Elizabethton, Tenn.) drove in Fritts with a single to right field to make the score 2-0 in favor of Milligan halfway through the first inning.

Milligan added two more runs in the second inning. With two outs, Stewart doubled, advanced to third on a passed ball and she scored on another passed ball. Fritts then drew a walk and stole second. A single from White up the middle brought Fritts in to make the score 4-0.

Bluefield answered with four runs in the bottom half of the second inning to tie the game.

The Lady Buffs’ took the lead for good in the visitor’s half of the fifth inning. With two runners on, pinch-hitter Brooke Dowdy (Bradenton, Fla.) doubled into the right-center field gap to score both runs.

Walker pitched 5 1/3 innings in the start for the win. She allowed four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. Jennifer Wise (Clermont, Fla.) struck out four of the five Bluefield batters she faced to pick up the save.

Stewart finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two doubles. Megan Aldridge (Johnson City, Tenn.) and White each went 2-for-4. Fritts also scored two runs in her 1-for-2 performance at the plate.

Milligan 0 Trevecca Nazarene 7

A two-run second inning put No. 6 Trevecca Nazarene in front for good. Trevecca added a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to push the lead out to 5-0 over Milligan. A two-run home run from Alicia Lee in the seventh inning made the final score 7-0.

The Lady Buffs saw Mallory Tincher (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Stewart each go 2-for-3 in the contest. White added the other hit for Milligan.

On the mound, Dowdy pitched all seven innings and gave up seven runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts.

The Lady Buffs will continue play at the SCAD Smash Hit Softball Tournament on Tuesday. The day will begin at noon with a contest against Wheelock (Mass.) College followed by a game with Randolph-Macon Women’s (Va.) College at 2 p.m.