Lady Buffs remarkable year

Milligan College, Tenn. (Apr. 29, 2008) --- The Milligan College softball team has had an impressive and historic year. Not only have the Lady Buffs won the AAC title but they also made a mark in history, being the first NAIA team to play Team USA. The Lady Buffs finished the season with a winning record 31-16 and a conference record 14-2.

Milligan has had a young talented group of pitchers that have stepped up and performed well. The Lady Buffs pitching core has been solid all year round and is ranked first in assists per game, third in walks allowed, fifth in opponent's batting average, and ninth in earned run average in NAIA Division I.

Freshman Sydney Burns (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) has started several games for the Lady Buffs and has had an impressive freshman campaign. Currently, she is ranked number one in assists per game, eighth in wins, and 10 in opponent's batting average.

Sophomore local standout Ryann Musick (Elizabethton, Tenn.) has also provided the Lady Buffs with some talent on the mound. She is ranked second in saves in Division I NAIA and 21 with earned runs allowed.

Sophomore Kayla Walker (Tracy, Calif.) has overcome some injuries and played well for the Lady Buffs. She pitched in the second game against Covenant College and got the victory for the Lady Buffs.

Several players have played well for the Lady Buffs in the field and at the plate. The team had a stellar slugging percentage at .405 and recorded 211 RBIs on the season.

Senior local star Sarah Smith (Elizabethton, Tenn.) has had an impressive year, leading the Lady Buffs in stolen bases. She also has hit five homeruns for the Lady Buffs and recorded 27 RBIs.

Senior Holly Napier (Pennington Gap, Va.) played in 47 games and recorded 14 RBIs. Senior Heather Poindexter (Germanton, N.C.) recorded 10 RBIs for the Lady Buffs.

Jessica Blevins (Watauga, Tenn.) led the team in homeruns this year with seven and she was the second leading player in RBIs with 29. Blevins lead the team in batting average with a .385.

Leah White (Fall Branch, Tenn.) also had an astounding year for the Lady Buffs. She led the team in RBIs with 32. White also hit four homeruns for the Lady Buffs.

Leading the team in homeruns is Laken Stewart (Pennington Gap, Va.) with five. She also recorded four triples and 27 RBIs for the Lady Buffs.

“This year has been great and the girls have worked extremely hard all year,” commented Head Coach Wes Holly. “They wanted the conference title and they worked hard to get it. Also the girls enjoyed the opportunity to play Team USA and they gained a lot of experience. We still have more to accomplish as we head into the AAC tournament and regional, but I am just so proud of the girls.”