BRISTOL, TN (March 17, 2007) --- The Milligan College softball team started their Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) schedule with a pair of wins over rival King College Saturday afternoon at Whitetop Creek Park in Bristol, Tenn. Milligan won the first game 5-0 and then completed the sweep with a 13-2 win over King. After the victories, the Lady Buffs improve to 12-12 overall and 2-0 in conference play while King falls to 0-2 in the AAC and 3-12 overall.

Game 1 Milligan 5 King 0

The Lady Buffs jumped on King in the opening inning. Laken Stewart (Pennington Gap, Va.) drew a walk to start the game and then stole second while Leah Fritts (Knoxville, Tenn.) reached on a fielding error. A walk to Jessica Blevins (Elizabethton, Tenn.) loaded the bases. After Megan Aldridge (Johnson City, Tenn.) struck out looking, Mallory Tincher (Jacksonville, Fla.) delivered with a single to push Stewart and Fritts around to score.

Milligan added to the lead in the top half of the second inning when Stewart and Fritts hit back-to-back home runs to make the score 4-0.

The final run of the contest came in the fifth inning when Leah White (Gray, Tenn.) drew a bases loaded walk which allowed Blevins to score.

With a five-run lead, Maegan Hambrick (Lexington, Ky.) kept the King bats silent over her five shut-out innings on the mound. She allowed one hit, collected five strikeouts and did not allow a walk. Jennifer Wise (Clermont, Fla.) pitched the final two innings to preserve the shutout for Milligan.

At the plate, Tincher went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and drew a walk. To go with her home run, Stewart also scored another run, drew two walks and stole two bases. Fritts also scored an additional run to go with her home run.

Ashley White pitched seven innings; she allowed five runs, four earned runs, on six hits with ten strikeouts and seven walks. Jena Rickard and Megan Lilley collected a hit apiece for King.

Game 2 Milligan 13 King 2 (5 Innings)

After a scoreless first inning, Milligan scored eight runs and sent 12 batters to the plate in the second inning to gain control of the nightcap.

King put a run on the scoreboard in the third inning only to see the Lady Buffs respond with two of their own in the top half of the fourth inning to make the score 10-1. After King scored another run in the bottom of the fourth, Blevins belted a three-run home run deep over the left field fence to make the final score 13-2.

On the mound for the Lady Buffs, Hambrick (3-1) picked up another win with three innings of work. She allowed one run on two hits with five strikeouts.

Fritts went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base, while White was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Blevins finished the contest 2-for-4, two runs scored, a home run and a total of four RBIs. Jessica Russell (New Market, Tenn.) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a run scored and a walk.

White once again suffered the loss on the mound; she allowed 13 runs on 12 hits while she struck out six. Rickard and Laura Peters provided the only two Tornado hits.

Milligan will return to action Sunday afternoon when NAIA Region XII foe Indiana University-Southeast visits Anglin Field for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.