Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Columbia, Mo. - The Cougar Softball team split the first two games of a best-of-three series with Benedictine University-Springfield on Friday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Postseason Tournament. Columbia suffered a 6-3 defeat in the first game of the day before bouncing back to win game two 14-1. The Cougars, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, move to 27-14 on the year with the split.
 
In game one, Jamie Holmes got Columbia off to a quick start with a leadoff double and would come around to score on a passed ball for a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs responded with three runs in the top of the second on two hits and a misplayed bunt by the Cougar defense. Columbia cut into the Benedictine lead with a two-out RBI double by Taylor Atwood in the bottom of the third inning, but the Bulldogs answered back with three runs in the fifth for a 6-2 advantage. The Cougars went into the bottom of the seventh trailing by that same score, but mounted a one-out rally as Holmes tripled and scored and the next two Columbia hitters reached base to bring the tying run to the plate. However, Benedictine starting pitcher Katie Stapleton was able to retire Taylor Atwood and Kristin Eiken on back to back pop-ups to end the threat and cap off the game one upset.
 
Paxton Welch started in the circle for the Cougars, but suffered the loss after allowing six runs (one earned) on five hits in 4.1 innings. The Cougar offense had nine hits, led by Marli Hayes going 3 for 4. Holmes and Carly Spalding also had two hits each.
 
Columbia took advantage of two bunt singles and a throwing error by the Bulldogs to score four runs in the top of the first inning of game two. The Cougars continued to tack on with 10 runs over the next four innings, including seven in the fourth, to take a commanding 14-0 lead. Starting pitcher Taylor Richter allowed one run over the final two innings to pick up the complete game win in the circle for Columbia. The senior hurler struck out five batters and walked just one in five innings to earn her third win of the year. Spalding and Kristin Eiken each went a perfect 4 for 4 with an RBI at the plate to lead the Cougars, who finished with 13 hits.
 
The two teams will be back in action tomorrow afternoon in the rubber game of the series with a berth in next week's AMC Tournament Semifinals on the line. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm at Antimi Black Field in Columbia.