Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Gulf Shores, Ala. – The Columbia Softball team suffered a pair of losses today at the Gulf Coast Invitational, falling to No. 8 Campbellsville University 7-4 before dropping to (RV) University of Houston-Victoria by a score of 9-2. The two losses move the Cougars to 8-3 on the young season.

GAME 1: Columbia 4, Campbellsville 7

CU took a 2-0 lead in the second when Brittany Rippy was issued a one-out walk. Jacqueline Roof singled and Shelby Ray's squeeze bunt scored a run. Another run came across on Rebecca Miller's ground out.

Columbia retook the lead at 3-2 when Campbellsville committed two miscues along with three Cougar hits in the bottom of the second. Rachel Sullivan singled up the middle and Molly Carter reached base on a misplayed grounder by the Tigers. Olivia Denslow followed with a walk to load the bases with two outs. Another fielding miscue by the Tigers allowed Sullivan and Carter to score. Julianna Waldner then singled to bring in Denslow to make it 3-2.

CU responded with two more runs at the top of the fourth as Adrean Jordan reached base on a one-out single and eventually scored on a passed ball. After Rippy was hit by a pitch, Roof's shot to third was misplayed and Rippy scored too, making the score 4-3.

It stayed that way until Columbia used a hit and two errors in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score at 4-4. Kaylee Brueggeman reached base on a fielding error to begin the inning and eventually scored on a throwing error by the pitcher.

With the score knotted at four, the Tigers were able to tack on three more runs in the top of the seventh. Brianna Scott singled with one out and Hailey Szpila reached on an error. Markie Smith walked with two outs to load the bases and that's when Destiney Taul singled to clear the bases.

Denslow walked to lead the bottom of the seventh off, but Neely Quint forced a fly out and ground out to end the inning.

Columbia outhit the Tigers 7-5, but walks and errors proved to be costly. Rachel Sullivan, Allyson Metz, Natalie Dummitt, Carter, Spalding, Waldner, and Brueggeman each had one hit in the contest. Paxton Welch (3-2) went the distance in the circle, pitching all seven innings, allowing just five hits and striking out three.

GAME 2: Columbia 2, University of Houston-Victoria 9
The Jaguars racked up 11 hits against the Cougars in game two while Columbia was held to just four hits throughout the game.

UHV led 7-0 after five innings of play and tacked on two more runs in the sixth. The Cougars managed to score a run in the bottom of the fifth as Dummitt singled and scored on an RBI triple by Dakota Newton. Columbia's second run came across in the bottom of the sixth. Metz led off with a double to right field and Angelica Serles entered the game as the pinch runner. After advancing to third on a fly out by Carter, Serles was able to score on a wild pitch.  

Lauren McCroskie (3-1) took the loss in the circle for the Cougars after allowing five earned runs on five hits while striking out one. Amber Boehme pitched three innings of relief, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out one. Metz, Carter, Dummitt, and Newton had one hit apiece.

Columbia moves on to Day 2 of the Gulf Coast Invitational when they meet William Carey at 1 p.m. and Bethel University at 5:00 p.m.  Saturday, March 5.