Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Shawnee, Okla. – The Columbia College softball team split a pair of games today in the St. Gregory Classic in Shawnee, Okla. to finish the weekend with a 3-1 record. The Cougars defeated Doane College 6-5 before falling to No. 11 St. Gregory University by a score of 10-2 in six innings. With the split, Columbia moves to 8-1 on the season.

Doane got on the board first in game one of the day as the squad scored four runs on six hits in the top of the third inning.

The Cougars responded right back with five runs in the bottom of the inning on six hits. Carly Spalding singled to center to start the inning and moved to second on a stolen base. Rachel Sullivan then singled to put runners on first and second. After advancing a base on a sacrifice bunt by Allyson Metz, Molly Carter hit a single of her own, bringing both Spalding and Sullivan around to score. Two batters later, Olivia Denslow doubled to center to score Carter. With two outs, Dakota Newton hit the tying run in on a single and Kaylee Brueggeman followed with an RBI single to record the go ahead run.  

Columbia added a run in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 6-4. Sullivan, Metz and Carter all singled to load the bases. A fielding error by Doane brought Sullivan around to score, but that would be the only damage done as the Tigers were able to work their way out of the jam.

Doane bounced back with a run in the sixth due to a Columbia throwing error to make it a one run game. The Tiger threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh as Heather Ramirez doubled to center to begin the inning, but Cougar pitcher Amber Boehme caused two groundouts and a popup to end the game.

The Cougars totaled 13 hits led by Sullivan and Carter with three apiece. Denslow and Brueggeman chipped in two hits while Spalding, Metz, and Newton had one hit apiece. Lauren McCroskie got the start for the Cougars, throwing two innings and striking out three. Boehme finished the game, picking up her first win of the season, after allowing just two hits while striking out one in 4 innings of work.

Columbia then took on the 11^th-ranked St. Gregory Cavaliers. St. Gregory scored one run in the first and two in the second to take an early 3-0 lead over the Cougars. Columbia responded with a run in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Denslow was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by Waldner. Newton followed with a single to center, scoring Denslow for their first run of the game. The Cougars would add a second run in the fifth, but the Cavaliers would plate one run in the fourth, one in the fifth, and five in the sixth to cap off the eight-run victory.

Paxton Welch (3-1) took the loss in the circle for the Cougars after allowing four earned runs while striking out one. Lauren McCroskie pitched one inning of relief, allowing five runs. Spalding and Newton led the Cougars with two hits apiece.

The Cougars will down to Gulf Shores, Ala. next weekend to play four games in the Gulf Coast Invitational. Columbia will face No. 8 Campbellsville University at 3:00 p.m. and (RV) University of Houston Victoria at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 4^th. On Saturday, March 5^th they will play No. 9 William Carey University at 1:00 p.m. and Bethel University at 5:00 p.m.