Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Gulf Shores, Ala. - The Cougar Softball team suffered a pair of losses to NAIA Top 25 foes at the Gulf Shores Invitational on Saturday. Columbia fell to 21^st-ranked William Carey (Miss.) University 11-6 in their first game of the day before dropping a heartbreaker to 9^th-ranked Belhaven (Miss.) University by a score of 4-3. The Cougars are now 5-6 on the year.

After two first inning runs by William Carey in game one, Columbia answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second on Jessica Hardy's first home of the season, a two-run shot to right with two outs. The Crusaders quickly regained control with seven runs in the bottom of the second, knocking Cougars starter Paxton Welch out of the game after just 1.1 innings. William Carey added two more runs in the third inning for an 11-2 lead before Columbia attempted to rally with two runs of their own in the top of the fourth and single tallies in the fifth and sixth. Trailing 11-6 in the seventh, the Cougars worked a pair of walks but were turned away as Crusaders starter Brooklyn Guillot struck out the side.

Welch took the loss for Columbia, allowing six runs on six hits. Hardy, Kaylee Brueggeman, and Kristin Eiken each had two of the Cougars' 12 hits in the game.

Belhaven grabbed an early 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning of game two. Columbia starter Lauren McCroskie settled in after that to throw five shutout innings, but the Cougar offense was held in check as the Blazers took a 1-0 lead into the seventh. The Cougars would plate three runs in the top of the inning on RBI's from Brueggeman, Jamie Holmes, and Carly Spalding for a 3-1 advantage heading into the bottom of the frame. Belhaven would load the bases with nobody out against McCroskie and Blazers' No. 2 hitter Shelby Watson followed with a three-run double for the walk-off winner.

McCroskie was the tough-luck loser in the pitching circle for Columbia, allowing four runs on four hits in her six-plus innings. Holmes and Whitni Howell led the Cougar offense with two hits each.

Columbia will resume play in the Gulf Shores Invitational with bracket play at 9:00 am on Sunday.