Freshman Erin Forgety pitched a complete-game three-hitter and senior Kassi Butcher pitched a shutout to lead the Milligan College softball team to a doubleheader sweep, 3-1 and 2-0, at University of Pikeville Tuesday in a rescheduled contest on the road.

Milligan (2-6), Forgety (1-2) and Butcher (1-3) all earned their first wins of the season.

FORGETY PITCHES BUFFS TO GAME ONE WIN
Forgety threw all seven innings of the opening game of the doubleheader, allowing only three hits and two walks while striking out five. Her only blemish came in the bottom of the fifth, with Milligan already ahead 3-0, when a throwing error allowed a run to come across after a pair of hits started the inning.

Morgan Overholser put the Buffs on top in the top of the first inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Overholser singled to bring home Erica Roller, and Milligan added another run in the first on a wild pitch.

Neelee Griffith, who scored the second run of the game, made Milligan’s lead 3-0 when she doubled Roller home in the fifth.

Overholser ended the first game 3-for-3 with an RBI. Roller, Griffith and Kelsey Linnprovided Milligan’s other hits.

BUTCHER PITCHES BUFFS TO GAME TWO WIN
It was a similar story in game two, with Butcher pitching a complete-game shutout to complete the Milligan sweep. Butcher allowed seven hits and one walk while striking out four. She ran into trouble in the first and fourth as Pikeville put the first two runners on base before bunting them over to second and third. In each case, the go-ahead run was in scoring position, but Butcher used strikeouts to escape both jams.

Butcher again ran into some trouble in the final frame as Pikeville had back-to-back singles to put two on with one out, but a double play ball ended the game.

Savannah Nocera provided Milligan the eventual game-winning hit with a two-out double in the top of the third inning. It made it 1-0, and Milligan doubled the lead in the fifth thanks to a Pikeville error that allowed Taylor Begley to score.

UP NEXT
Appalachian Athletic Conference play begins this weekend as Milligan travels to Columbia, South Carolina, for three doubleheaders. Milligan will play Friday at Allen University, Saturday at Columbia International University and Sunday at Columbia College.