BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard softball team won the first game of a doubleheader with Milligan College on the strength of a one-hitter from starting pitcher Jamie Hrobak, but was unable to complete the sweep as the Buffaloes were victorious in the second game of the afternoon.
Milligan (1-1) got its only hit of the opening game off the bat of designated player Kimberly Robinson, who lifted a two-run home run to left field on a 1-0 offering from Hrobak moments after the Brevard (2-4) starter issued a free pass. It was the only offense the Buffaloes would muster all afternoon as Hrobak spun a masterful performance, recording at least one strikeout in five separate innings and nine in total.
Brevard's 9-2 win was never in doubt as the Tornados struck early and often in the contest. Kinsey Parrish smacked an RBI double into the gap in left center field to score Kinny Davis from first after Davis reached on an infield single. Brevard tacked on four more runs in the second inning. Paige Atkison turned on the first pitch she saw for a double down the left field line. Michelle Ray hit a tapper back to the mound, but Milligan's Megan Nicol attempted to catch pinch runner Deandra Ealey breaking for third. The Buffaloes failed to record an out on the fielder's choice, and Mary Cloninger was plunked moments later to load the bases.
A nine-pitch walk by Ashleigh Ivey drove home the first run of the inning before Hanna Huckabee's 0-2 single made the score 3-0. Parrish continued the inning with a sacrifice fly to deep left field. Casey Whitaker then drove home the fourth run of the frame on a single up the middle.
Cloninger erased any doubt about the game's outcome during her next at-bat, crushing a first-pitch offering from Jessica Goodson over the fence in left center for a three-run home run. The eight-run cushion was more than enough for Hrobak, who kept Buffaloes hitters off balance all afternoon. Robinson and Natalie Sheffey, who came around to score on Robinson's fourth-inning home run, were two of just three Buffaloes that reached second base on the afternoon. Hrobak retired the next 10 straight batters after Robinson's home run and had three 1-2-3 innings.
The Tornados were on the receiving end of a stellar pitching performance in the second game as Robinson allowed just two hits in a complete-game five innings of work in Milligan's 8-0 win. Only Whitaker managed to get the ball out of the infield, as her leadoff single to left field in the second inning coupled with a seventh inning infield single by Ray represented Brevard's only hits.
Milligan received most of its production from the bottom of its batting order. Lindsey Keys, Natalie Hauser, Kacie Skeen, and Jessica Wheelock, who batted in the six through nine positions, went 8-for-11 at the plate with six runs scored and four RBIs.
Casey Whitaker took the loss for the Tornados after giving up three runs on three hits in 2.0 innings of work. Dallas Heaton pitched two innings of relief with Hrobak returning to pitch the fifth and final frame.
The Tornados next take the field on Wednesday in a doubleheader at Montreat. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
