Box Score Columbia, Mo. - The Cougar Softball team earned a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Benedictine University-Springfield on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Postseason Tournament. Columbia, the tournament's No. 2 seed after finishing 18-4 in league play during the regular season, improves to 28-14 with the win.
 
The Bulldogs would get on the board first with one out in the third inning as Miranda Langen connected on a solo home run to left center for a 1-0 lead. After shutting down the Cougar offense on Friday, Benedictine starting pitcher Katie Stapleton continued to hold Columbia in check over the first five innings. The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the sixth as Nicole Ramirez scored on a safety squeeze by Sarah Worster. Columbia was finally able to break through in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run by Carly Spalding that followed a one-out double by Jamie Holmes. The game was sent to extra innings after a scoreless seventh frame and Cougar starting pitcher Lauren McCroskie was able to work around a leadoff walk to get out of the top of the eighth inning unscathed. Columbia would mount a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Holmes and Kaylee Brueggeman reached base on a pair of infield singles to start the inning. However, Stapleton was able to record back-to-back popups by Spalding and Marli Hayes to keep runners on first and second with two outs. That would bring Taylor Atwood to the plate, who would foul off a pair of two-strike pitches before lining a single to left field to bring home Brueggeman with the winning run.
 
McCroskie pitched a season-high eight innings and struck out four to earn her sixth win of the year. Holmes finished with two of the Cougars' seven hits and Spalding added a team-high two RBI.
 
Columbia will advance to next week's AMC Tournament Semifinals, which are scheduled to kick off on Thursday, May 1^st. The Cougars will take on No. 3 seed Park University (36-10) at noon at Antimi Black Field in Columbia. Top seed William Woods University (36-15) will also square off against No. 4 seed Freed-Hardeman University (24-17) at noon as well. For the complete tournament bracket and results, visit www.amcsportsonline.com.