Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Gulf Shores, Ala. - The Columbia Softball team suffered a pair of losses today at the Gulf Shores Invitational, falling to No. 2 Spring Hill (Ala.) College 10-2 in six innings and 3-1 to William Penn (Iowa) University. The two losses drop the Cougars to 5-4 on the young season.

Columbia was able to take an early lead in the top of the first inning against Spring Hill as Jamie Holmes led off with a single to center and came around to score on an RBI double by Marli Hayes. The Badgers responded with two runs on four hits in the bottom of the frame off Cougars starter Taylor Richter for a 2-1 advantage. Spring Hill picked up another run in the third for a 3-1 lead, but Columbia answered right back in the top of the fourth inning as Kristin Eiken connected on her third home run of the year. However, the Badgers took over from there with two runs in the fourth and fifth and three more in the sixth to cap off the win and improve to 7-2.

Richter (1-1) took the loss in the circle for the Cougars after allowing three runs on six hits in her three innings of work. Holmes had two of Columbia's five hits in the game.

In game two, William Penn got on the board in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead against starter Amber Boehme. The Cougars put runners on second and third with nobody out in the bottom of the inning, but could not cash in on the opportunity as Statesmen pitcher Jennifer Whitehead recorded back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat. After two scoreless innings, William Penn added a run in the top of the fourth and fifth for a 3-0 advantage. Columbia finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Kaylee Brueggeman reached on a base hit and came around to score on a single by Carly Spalding, cutting the Statesmen lead to 3-1. However, the Cougars were unable to mount any kind of offense against Whitehead over the final two innings as William Penn hung on for the 3-1 victory.

Boehme took the loss in the circle for Columbia, allowing two runs on four hits in four innings. The Cougars were held to four hits in the game, led Spalding going 2 for 3.

Columbia will be back in action tomorrow starting at 11:00 am vs. 21^st-ranked William Carey (Miss.) University. The Cougars will wrap up the day against 9^th-ranked Belhaven (Miss.) University at 1:00 pm before moving on to bracket on Sunday.