Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Hannibal, Mo. - The Columbia Softball team maintained their spot at the top of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) standings with a doubleheader sweep of Hannibal-LaGrange University on Friday afternoon. The Cougars shut out the Trojans in both games, winning 8-0 in six innings in the first game of the day before taking game two by a score of 9-0 in five innings. Columbia improves to 20-11 overall and 12-2 in conference play with the two wins.
 
The Cougars took an early lead in game one with a pair of first inning runs as Jamie Holmes led off with an infield single and came around to score on a passed ball on by Hannibal-LaGrange. Marli Hayes followed with a one-out walk and would later score on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Atwood. After a scoreless second, Columbia tacked on two more runs as Holmes scored on a triple by Hayes and Atwood delivered an RBI single for a 4-0 advantage. The Cougars went up 5-0 in the top of the fourth after a two-out triple by Kaylee Brueggeman and an RBI single by Holmes. Columbia continued to add to their lead with two a pair of runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. The eight-run lead was more than enough for starter Paxton Welch, who allowed just two hits in six shutout innings to pick up her team-leading sixth win of the season.   
 
The Cougar offense finished with 10 hits in the game. Holmes went 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot and Hayes added two hits and three runs scored.
 
Columbia scored in the first inning of game two as well after a one-out triple by Carly Spalding and another passed ball by the Trojans. The Cougars were kept off the scoreboard in the second, but came back with five runs in the third inning, highlighted by Whitni Howell's three-run double with two outs. Columbia pushed a run across in the fourth and two in the fifth to cap off the 9-0 victory.
 
Amber Boehme continued the stellar pitching for the Cougars with a one-hit shutout over five innings. The sophomore hurler struck out three batters and did not allow a walk. Howell paced the Columbia offense with two hits and three RBI, while Spalding had two hits and two runs scored as well.
 
The Cougars will be back on the diamond tomorrow afternoon at conference foe Benedictine University-Springfield. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 2:00 pm in Springfield, Ill.