Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Gulf Shores, Ala. - The Columbia Cougar softball team got back on track today in the Gulf Coast Invitational, winning all three games, including a 9-4 triumph over American Midwest Conference opponent Freed-Hardeman University in the silver bracket championship. The Cougars defeated Campbellsville (Ky.) 3-0 and No. 18 University of Houston-Victoria (Texas) 3-2 earlier in the day. Columbia moves to 5-6 on the season.

The Cougars took an early lead against Campbellsville with a run in the bottom of the first after Carly Spalding led off with a single and came around to score on and RBI single by Julianna Waldner. Columbia extended their lead to 3-0 as the Cougars came through with four straight hits in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kaylee Brueggeman led off the inning with a single and Spalding followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Bruggeman then came around to score on Julianna Waldner's RBI single up the middle. Allyson Metz blasted in the last run on an RBI single to left bringing Spalding around to score.

At the plate, Waldner led the offense, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs while Spalding and Brueggeman added two hits apiece. On the rubber, sophomore Paxton Welch picked up the victory, as she threw a complete game, allowing zero runs, four hits and struck out four batters.

In the semifinal game against the University of Houston-Victoria, Columbia would score all the runs they would need in the second on a two-run double by Brittiany Tjarks and a two-out RBI single from Brueggeman. The Jaguars fought back with a solo run in the fifth and added another in the sixth after an RBI double to center.
 
Spalding paced the Cougars at the plate going 3-for-4 while Rachel Sullivan and Samantha Davis went 2-for-3. Lauren McCroskie picked up the win in the circle for Columbia after allowing zero earned runs, four hits and striking out two in four innings of work. Amber Boehme earned the save as she allowed one earned run on three hits in two innings of relief, while striking out four.

In the championship against Freed-Hardeman, the Lions jumped out to a 2-0 advantage after a two-run homer by Kamara Trice.

After two scoreless innings, the Cougars picked up three runs on five hits in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Brueggemann came through with a two-run single and later came around to score on an RBI single by Tylin Stephens. A pair of errors from the Lions allowed the Cougars to score three runs in the fifth as they went into the bottom of the inning up 6-4.

After holding Freed-Hardeman scoreless the next two innings, Columbia plated three more runs as Spalding hit a two run triple and scored on an RBI single by Stephens.

The Lions were unable to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh as Welch forced two groundouts and a pop out.

The Cougars finished with 16 hits for the game, led by Tjarks and Spalding with three each. Stepehns, Metz, Hardy, and Brueggeman chipped in two hits apiece.

Tiffany Urwiler earned the win in the circle for Columbia, going four innings and allowing three runs on three hits and a walk while striking out three. Welch logged 3 innings in relief, holding the Lions to no hits or runs while striking out one.

Columbia opens up AMC action on Friday, March 13^th against Williams Baptist University. Game time for the doubleheader is set for 2:00 p.m.