Columbus State softball splits doubleheader in final home games
COLUMBUS – In the final home games of the season, the Columbus State University softball team split two games with Montevallo. The Peach Belt Conference doubleheader was played at Cougar Field.
Columbus State (25-17-1, 11-5 PBC) fell 9-8 in a wild first game and bounced back for a 2-1 extra-inning victory in the second.
"I'm happy we were able to get a win in the second game," head coach Brad Huskisson said. "We have to be more consistent though and do a better job of finishing when we get leads."
Columbus State will begin its 10-game road stretch Saturday at UNC Pembroke. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game One
The Lady Cougars rolled out of the gates in Tuesday's opener plating five runs in the first inning.
With the bases loaded, Calli Star put the ball in play to second and an errant throw to the plate allowed Keeli Waugh to scratch across the first run. Kayleigh Briant added an RBI on a fielder's choice and the Lady Cougars capped off the scoring with a two-run double off the bat of Savanna Turvy.
After Montevallo (18-18, 7-8) got on the board in the second, CSU answered right back. Again it was Star bringing Waugh across home plate, this time with a RBI single inside the third base bag.
The Falcons began mounting their comeback with two runs in the third. They added one in the fifth and another in the sixth, but Columbus State still led 6-5 going to the seventh inning.
A pair of two-run singles capped off the rally for UM, pushing Montevallo in front 9-6.
The Lady Cougars would not go quietly in their half of the seventh. Elizabeth Perdue launched her team-leading 12th home run of the season with one out to pull CSU within two, and Brittany Mitchell and Turvy followed with singles to put the tying runs on base.
After a fielder's choice recorded the second out of the inning, Waugh was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kia Smith kept the game going after a Falcon error made it a 9-8 game.
The game then took an interesting turn as Fagioli hit a soft liner to second base. The second baseman fielded the ball and forced out Smith at second base, but Waugh collided with the shortstop on the play. A 19-minute delay followed while the umpires discussed the call, ultimately ending with the fielder's choice standing and the Falcons victorious.
Darby Demarest (7-5) went the distance for the Lady Cougars in the loss. The sophomore allowed nine runs (five earned) and struck out eight.
CSU pounded out 13 hits, with five different players having at least two. Smith and Mitchell led the way with three apiece.
Game Two
After 17 combined runs in game one, Tuesday's nightcap was the exact opposite. Pitching dominated the game with four and a half scoreless innings to start the game.
Kristin Studds broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with her second home run of the season.
Montevallo answered right back however, getting a run of its own in the sixth. CSU escaped further damage though, getting out of a bases loaded jam with nobody out.
After putting zeros up in the seventh and eighth innings, the Lady Cougars sent the fans home happy in the bottom half of the eighth.
Star nearly ended the game with one swing, tripling off the centerfield wall with one out. After a lineout, Perdue came up big again for the Lady Cougars. The sophomore singled into right field to bring home the winning run and give CSU the split.
Harley Dawson (5-2) picked up the win after a scoreless eighth inning. Peyton Sorrells went seven innings, allowing just one run with six strikeouts.
Smith had another strong showing with three more hits in game two.
This story was originally published April 5, 2017 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Columbus State softball splits doubleheader in final home games."