BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Union College softball team lost 3-1 and 7-0 against top-seeded Milligan (Tenn.) College Friday for the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament championship at the Whitetop Creek Park Softball Complex.

After the games the Lady Bulldogs, the tournament's No. 3 seed, moved to 22-27. Union will wait to see who their next opponent is in the NAIA Region XII Softball Tournament set to get underway next week, hosted by Indiana University Southeast. Milligan went to 36-17 on the season.

Union scored first in the opening contest when Lyla Blauser (Hopkinsville, Ky.) came home on Milligan errors after Sarah Driver (Hopkinsville, Ky.) put the ball in play during the first inning.

Milligan used a three-run fifth inning to gain momentum from the Lady Bulldogs.

Ashley Tatman (Lexington, Ky.) went 2-for-3 at the plate which included a double. Driver suffered the loss after going all seven innings and allowing three runs, one of which was earned, on five hits. She struck out six opposing batters.

Sarah Smith accounted for three of Milligan's five hits in the first game with a run scored, RBI and stolen base. Burns tossed a complete game and surrendered six hits.

Union did not reach base until Tatman reached on an infield single in the seventh inning of the nightcap. Lee Davis followed with another hit, but it was not enough for the Lady Bulldogs.

The second game saw the Lady Buffaloes score runs in both the second and third innings with a pair of runs in the fifth and three more in the last frame.

Burns went the distance again and allowed the two hits. Smith went 4-for-4 with a run scored and Holly Napier scored three times.

Sherry DeVault (Hamilton, Ohio) suffered the loss through the complete game.

Earlier in the day, Milligan needed 13 innings to capture a 2-1 win over Montreat (N.C.) College in the losers' bracket final.

Lady Bulldog Notes

• This marks the second straight trip to the NAIA Region XII Tournament for Union.
• The AAC Tournament Championship was the first tournament championship game in Union's fast-pitch history.
• Tatman recoreded her 19th multi-hit game of the season.