Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Fulton, Mo. – The Cougar Softball team split a conference doubleheader with AMC foe William Woods University on Tuesday afternoon. Columbia came back to win game one 5-3 in eight innings before falling 13-10 in game two. The Cougars move to 20-15 on the season and 11-7 in league play with the split.

After a scoreless first two innings, the Owls picked up a run in the third with the help of a Columbia error and an RBI single by Hannah Campbell. The Cougars responded in the top of the fourth inning with a run on an RBI single by freshman Allyson Metz to even the score, but William Woods would plate two more runs in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead.

Carly Spalding hit her team-leading eighth home run in the top of the sixth to pull within one and in the seventh freshman Tylin Stephens singled to score Taylor Atwood who drew a walk to knot the score at three. Starting pitcher Paxton Welch held the Owls scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

In the eighth, Spalding reached base on a wild throw and scored on an RBI single by Julianna Waldner to take the lead. Thanks to two walks and Atwood reaching base on the fielder's choice, Columbia was able to load the bases. Stephens then singled to score Metz for the 5-3 advantage.  William Woods would put runners on third and second thanks to a single and a double in the bottom of the frame, but Welch forced a popup and a groundout to put the game away.

Welch (9-7) allowed one earned run on nine hits and struck out one in eight innings to earn the win. The Columbia offense finished with eight hits in the game led by Spalding and Stephens with two hits apiece.

The Cougars got on the board first in game two as Spalding singled up the middle and later scored on an RBI single by Metz. However, the Owls responded with three runs in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Emily Murphy and a two-run home run by the third baseman Caroline Sicht.

Columbia scored one run in the second and two in the third while the Owls added a run in the bottom of the second to tie the score at four. William Woods then erupted for five runs in the bottom of the third on four hits and two Cougar errors for a 9-4 lead. The Cougars would tack on another run on an RBI single by Atwood, but the Owls would get that run back on a solo home run by Sam Parsons in the bottom of the fourth.

Back-to-back doubles by Brittiany Tjarks and Samantha Davis would push two more runs across, cutting the Owl's lead to 10-7 in the bottom of the fifth. William Woods continued to add to their lead in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run triple by Emily Murphy and an RBI single by Sicht to go up 13-7.

At the top of the seventh, Stephens singled to begin the inning and came around to score on an RBI double by Tjarks. Kaylee Brueggeman then reached base on a dropped popup in the outfield while Tjarks came across the plate to score. Spalding came through with an RBI single up the middle to score Brueggeman, but starting pitcher Allison Waskow worked her way out of the jam, forcing a groundout and retiring the last batter to hang on for the win.

Amber Boehme started in the circle for the Cougars, allowing four runs on four hits in 1.1 innings of work. Lauren McCroskie allowed five runs (3 earned) on five hits while Tiffany Urwiler gave up four runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings. The Cougar offense had 15 hits, led by Spalding going 4-for-4 with two RBI. Tjarks, Stephens, Davis, and Atwood also had two hits apiece.

The Cougars will return to the field tomorrow, Wednesday April 15^th when they travel to St. Louis, Mo. to take on AMC foe Missouri Baptist University. The first game of the doubleheader has been moved from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. with the second game starting shortly after.