Columbia, Mo. – The Columbia College softball team split a pair of games with American Midwest Conference (AMC) opponent Stephens College at Battle High School Softball Field Tuesday afternoon. The Cougars won the first game 4-1, but dropped the second by a score of 10-9 in eight innings despite leading early on. The split moves the Cougars to 13-11 on the season and 5-5 in conference play.
The Cougars notched a run in the top of the first inning in game one as
Carly Spalding led off with a single, stole two bases to reach third and scored on a wild throw by the Stephen's catcher. The Stars responded with a run of their own in to bottom of the frame on a solo homerun by Katie Heaton to tie the game at one.
After four scoreless innings, Columbia finally extended their lead in the sixth, scoring two runs to go ahead 3-1. The Cougars would add one more run in the seventh on an RBI single by
Rachel Sullivan while holding the Stars scoreless to take game one by a score of 4-1.
Junior hurler
Paxton Welch (5-7) earned the win on the mound, allowing just four hits and striking out one in seven innings. Sullivan had two of Columbia's six hits while Spalding,
Allyson Metz,
Julianna Waldner, and
Dakota Newton chipped in one hit apiece.
The Cougars combined for 16 hits in the second game compared to just nine by the Stars, but couldn't pull away with the win.
Columbia scored two runs following back-to-back sacrifice fly balls by Metz and
Molly Carter in the first and added three more runs in the second on a two-run single by Sullivan and an RBI base hit by Carter for an early 5-0 advantage. The Cougars stretched their lead to six in the fourth after
Lauren McCroskie hit a deep ball to center to score Sullivan who led the inning off with a single.
The Stars came storming back in the bottom of the fourth as the squad struck for seven runs on four hits and a Columbia error to gain a 7-6 advantage over the Cougars.
Columbia grabbed an 8-7 advantage in the fifth after plating two runs on three hits. The Cougars loaded the bases as Newton reached base on an error in the infield and
Kaylee Brueggeman and Spalding reached on back-to-back base hits. Sullivan followed with a single to left field to bring Newton across the plate and Brueggeman would later score on a dropped fly ball in the outfield.
Stephens didn't back down from there, as they would score two runs in the bottom of the frame to go ahead 9-8. Columbia tied the ball game in the sixth as Waldner was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a double by Newton and scored on a groundout by Brueggeman.
With the game tied at nine, neither team would be able to score another run in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings.
In the eighth,
Natalie Dummitt led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Welch, but two popups by the Cougars sent the game into the bottom of the frame.
Columbia beat themselves in the eighth, committing two critical errors which allowed the Stars to score the winning run. A misplayed grounder by the Cougars put Heaton on base and a wild throw allowed Jamie Martin to reach first. With two outs, Gerica Curry singled to left and Heaton would be able to score on the throw from the outfield to pull away with the win.
McCroskie (5-2) started on the mound for the Cougars and picked up the loss after allowing five hits and striking out two. Carter entered the game in the fourth inning and Welch closed the game out, pitching three innings of relief. Sullivan led the offense after going 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored. Spalding notched three hits and two runs scored while Carter, Dummitt, Newton and Brueggeman had two hits apiece.
The Cougars will return to action this Friday when they host AMC foe Missouri Baptist University in a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m. The games will take place at Antimi Sports Complex.
