Box Score Gulf Shores, Ala. – The Columbia Softball team suffered a pair of losses today at the Gulf Coast Invitational, falling to No. 20 Brenau (Ga.) University 7-5 and 6-3 to No. 2 William Carey University. The two losses drop the Cougars to 1-5 on the young season.

In their first game of the day the Cougars struggled to string their offense together and allowed three runs in the bottom of the first inning and one run in the bottom of the second. Columbia got on the board in the third inning after Sophomore Carly Spalding led off with a homerun to center. The Golden Tigers responded with another run in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-1.

The Cougars added a second run in the top of the fourth as Brittany Tjarks reached base on a fielder's choice and came around to score on an RBI double by Samantha Davis. Columbia held Brenau scoreless in the bottom of the fourth and added a third run in the top of the fifth when Spalding led off with a bunt single, stole second, reached third on a throwing error, and scored on a wild pitch.

Brenau tacked on two more runs in the fifth to make the score 7-3. Following a scoreless sixth inning, the Cougars rallied in the top of the seventh as Spalding led off with a walk. She then stole second, advanced to third, and scored thanks to two wild throws. Julianna Waldner followed with a double and came around to score on an RBI single from Allyson Metz. Columbia had runners on first and second with nobody out, but pitcher Madison Gossett worked her way out of the jam to close out the game.

Spalding led the way going 2-3 with one RBI and three runs, while Waldner, Metz, Hardy, Tjarks and Davis, each added one hit apiece. Sophomore Paxton Welch took the loss in the circle for Columbia after allowing six earned runs on ten hits and recording four strikeouts in six innings of work

William Carey grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of game two. After two scoreless innings, Hardy got things going for the Cougars after leading off with a double. Dakota Newton entered the game to pinch run and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Atwood. Tjarks followed with an RBI single to score Newton to put Columbia on the board. The Cougars added another run in the fifth inning as Davis reached base on a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Spalding. Waldner then singled to left to bring Davis around to score.

The Crusaders scored two runs in the fifth inning, and then followed it up with two more in the sixth to put them ahead 6-2. Spalding hit her second home-run of the day at the top of the seventh to make it 6-3, but Columbia was unable to make a come-back as they picked up their fifth loss of the season.
 
Tjarks led the Cougar offense going 2-3 with one RBI. Lauren McCroskie was charged with the loss. She allowed four runs in four innings, walked five and struck out two.
 
Columbia will be back in action tomorrow starting at 10:00 am vs Cumberland University. The Cougars will wrap up the day against 3^rd-ranked Reinhardt (Ga.) University at 2:00 pm before moving on to bracket on Sunday.