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Millikin Picks Up First Softball Win Of Season

Published on March 3 2014 1:09 pm

DECATUR, Ill. — The Millikin softball team picked up its first win of the season defeating Fontbonne University 4-3 in Memphis, Tenn. Sunday. Millikin’s scheduled game against Rhodes College was canceled due to rain.

The Millikin offense got going early as the Big Blue first four batters all reached base. Meghan Matthews (Clinton, H.S.), Marissa Padilla (Oak Forest, H.S.) and Alyssa Visvardis (Homer Glen, Lockport Township H.S.) all singled to load the bases. Abbie Tinnon (Bartonville, Limestone H.S.) drew the bases loaded walk to drive home Millikin’s first run of the inning. Two outs later Becca Thompson (Hanover Park Schaumburg H.S.) drove home two runs with a double to make it 3-0 Big Blue. Thompson went 2-3 on the game.

Leading 4-1 in the sixth, Millikin picked up an important insurance run when Matthews doubled to score Heather Doyle (Blue Mound, Meridian H.S.) who had walked.

Fontbonne scored two runs in the top of the seven before Taylor Hull (Decatur, MacArthur H.S.) closed to the door to preserve her first career Millikin victory.

Millikin lost of pair of games to open the 2014 season at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. Saturday.

Millikin dropped the season opener to Rhodes 4-2 in eight innings.

Trailing 1-0, Millikin tied the game in the fourth inning when Hillary Shelton (Beecher City, H.S.) drove home Matthews who had singled to lead off the inning.

Rhodes threatened in the bottom of the seventh. The Lynx had runners at second and third with one out, but Hull sent the game to extra innings by getting a strike out and ground out to end the inning.

Millikin scored in the top of the eighth to make it a 2-1 game. Raeshel Braden (Decatur, St. Teresa H.S.) started the inning using the international tie breaker rule. Braden then scored from second on a groundout to first base by Tinnon. Rhodes pulled out the victory with three runs in the eighth inning highlighted by a game winning two run homer. Matthews and Tinnon led the Big Blue hitters each going 2-4.

Millikin dropped its second game of the day to Fontbonne University 5-3. The Griffins jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings. Millikin got on the board in the third inning on a RBI double by Rachel Kindred (Ottawa, H.S.). Trailing 5-1 after six innings, Millikin scored two in the seventh. Braden led off the inning with her first career Millikin homerun. Visvardis had an RBI single in the inning. Visvardis was 3-4 for the Big Blue with Braden and Padilla each picking up two hits.

Millikin is 1-2 and will return to action Sunday when they open play in the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.