[Softball] Softball Sweeps Milligan on Senior Day
LAURINBURG, N.C. - The St. Andrews University Softball team got back on the winning track on Saturday en route to sweeping conference foe Milligan College (TN) on senior day.
The Lady Knights held on for a 2-1 game one win while then using their offense to break open a close game two and take it 8-4.
Game 1: SAU 2, Milligan 1
SAU got off to a good start in game one as sophomore shortstop Ashlyn Dial (SO/Laurinburg, NC) walked and junior 2B Nikki Santiago (JR/Gainesville, FL) singled before sophomore DH Asucena Trujillo (SO/Nyssa, OR) drove them in with a two-out single giving SAU a quick 2-0 lead.
Sophomore starter S.K. Brown (SO/Huntersville, NC) then shut down Milligan over four innings before relinquishing a solo home run to the Buffaloes in the fifth. Brown ended up tossing 4 and 2/3 innings for the win allowing just 2 hits and a run on 5 walks and 4 strikeouts for the win improving to 4-12. Junior reliever Nancy Amos (JR/Huntersville, NC) then finished the game picking up the save throwing 2 and 1/3 innings scoreless allowing 2 hits and a walk with a strikeout.
Junior 1B Lexi Dawson (JR/Garland, NC) (team-best .351 average) also recorded a hit and a walk in game one as the two teams only combined for 7 hits. SAU also stole 4 bases in game one with one each from Santiago, Trujillo, and outfielders Rachel Swartwood (JR/Wilmington, NC) and Amanda Shaffer (JR/Sandyston, NJ).
Game 2: SAU 8, Milligan 4
After Milligan scored two early runs in the first inning in game two, SAU came roaring back scoring three of their own in the bottom half to lead 3-2 after one. Milligan would tack on another run in the 2nd before SAU tallied one of their own in the third to retake the lead at 4-3.
Milligan would then tie it once more in the fourth off starter Brennan Broadaway (SO/Oakboro, NC) before St. Andrews put the game out of reach scoring three runs in the bottom half to lead 7-4. The Knights would also tack another run on for good measure in the 6th to take the game and the sweep 8-4.
Santiago and freshman CF Cassie Fortner (FR/Lexington, NC) led the Knights with two-hit games while one of Santiago's hits went for three bases, her first triple of the season. Fortner and Trujillo also drove in two runs each while Broadaway recorded a three-run double as well.
Other Knights recording hits on the afternoon included senior catcher Katie Lougee (SR/Southport, NC), Shaffer, and freshman pinch-hitter Avery Korne (FR/Huntington, WV) as SAU tallied 8 hits in the game. Fortner also scored three runs while Santiago, Shaffer, and DH Symphony Arguedas (JR/Riverside, CA) also stole bases. Santiago leads the team with 18 stolen bases. Dawson also walked three times giving her a team-best .472 on-base percentage.
Broadaway (3-6) threw 4 innings to get the win allowing 9 hits and 4 runs (3 earned) with 0 walks and 3 strikeouts. Amos picked up her second straight save throwing three innings with 2 hits, 2 walks, and 2 Ks for her 3rd save of the season.
St. Andrews improves to 16-26 with the sweep and 4-16 in the conference while Milligan falls to 20-14 overall and 13-7 in the conference.
SAU will remain home to finish out their home schedule by hosting Union College (Ky.) on Tuesday in a 1:00 PM DH.