Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Conway, Ark. - The Columbia Softball team returned to the diamond on Friday and earned a pair of victories at the Central Baptist College Invitational. The Cougars pounded out 24 hits in a 26-2 non-conference win over Lyon College in their first game of the day and followed that up with a 17-3 victory over AIB College of Business. Columbia improves to 4-2 on the season with the two wins.

The Cougars got on the board in the top of the first inning as Carly Spalding walked with one out and came around to score on a wild pitch by Lyon hurler Savannah Fuller. After Taylor Atwood reached base via a two-out walk, Kristin Eiken sent a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for her first home run of the year and a 3-0 Columbia lead. The Cougars plated six more runs on six hits in the top of the second for a quick 9-0 advantage. Columbia continued to pour it on with eight runs in the third inning, highlighted by a grand slam by Spalding and a two-run single by Brittiany Tjarks. The Scots would push across a run in the bottom of the frame before the Cougars erupted for nine more runs in the fourth as Eiken added her second home run of the contest, a three-run shot to left. Jessica Hardy completed the scoring with a two-run single to center that made the score 26-1 and Columbia coasted to the five-inning victory from there.

Taylor Richter worked two shutout innings to earn the win in the circle for the Cougars and improve to 1-0 on the season. Eiken had a career-high six RBI to pace the Columbia offense, which received hits from 11 different players in the game. Spalding drove in five runs of her own and Marli Hayes knocked in four as well as both players finished with three hits, while Jamie Holmes and Maria Imhoff each had three hits as well.

The Cougars carried their hot hitting into their second game and plated nine runs in the top of the first inning. Columbia batted around in the frame, with Hayes picking up two hits and four RBI in two trips to the plate to go along with a three-run double by Whitni Howell. Following a scoreless second inning, the Cougars pushed four runs across on just one hit in the third for a 13-0 lead. Columbia added two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings and freshman Paxton Welch worked around three runs in the bottom of the fifth to pick up the five-inning complete game and her first collegiate victory.

Welch allowed three runs on four hits in her five innings in the circle, while striking out nine and walking four. The Cougars finished with eight hits in the game, led by Hayes and Howell with two each. The duo also finished with for nine RBI and Eiken capped off a career day with three more RBI in the nightcap.

Columbia will wrap up the weekend with a doubleheader vs. Ecclessia College tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm in Conway, Ark.