Softball | 5/6/2016 7:28:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Conway, Ark. – The Columbia College softball team ended their season this afternoon, falling to Williams Baptist College in both American Midwest Conference championship games by scores of 5-4 and 6-4.  Columbia, the sixth seed in the eight-team tournament was the underdog as they defeated third-seeded Lindenwood-Belleville in the quarterfinal series, then defeated the fifth seeded Eagles of Williams Baptist and top seeded Park University yesterday to advance to today's championship unscathed.  The Eagles defeated Park earlier today to play on in the championship. Williams Baptist had to defeat the Cougars twice to claim the league's second automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships.

In the first game of the day, the Eagles struck first, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning.  Columbia answered right back though, plating two runs in the top of the third.  With two outs Carly Spalding started a run of four straight singles that would lead to the two runs.

With bases loaded and two out in the top of the sixth, Carly Spalding legged out a ground ball single to second base to score the game-tying run.  The Eagles were careful to not give clean-up hitter Molly Carter anything too good to hit and ended up walking her on four pitches, which in turn gave the Cougars the 4-3 lead. The lead was short lived though as the Eagles tied up the contest in the bottom of the frame but a spot on throw from Rachel Sullivan in right field to Olivia Denslow at home ended the inning and saved the Cougars from giving up the go ahead run.  However the Cougars fell short in the top of the seventh and headed in the bottom of the inning all tied up at four. 

Williams Baptist senior Callie Brooks took the first pitch she was given in the bottom of the seventh and sent it over the fence for the walk-off win and forced a second championship contest.

Paxton Welch took the loss on the mound, allowing 12 hits and fanning two batters. Molly Carter finished with three hits and two RBIs while Spalding, Allyson Metz and Lauren McCroskie each posted a pair of hits.

The second game was another back-and-forth battle between these two squads and the Eagles kept their momentum going as they scored two of their runs in the top of the first inning.  The Cougars knotted up the score after knocking in one run in the second and one in the third.  Williams Baptist, the visiting team on the scoreboard plated their third run of the game in the top of the fourth and Columbia again answered, scored their third and fourth.  After a scoreless fifth inning the Eagles tied up the score with a single run in the sixth inning.  They held Columbia scoreless in the sixth and added two runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead and the victory after the Cougars first three batters went down in the bottom of the inning.

Lauren McCroskie threw 6.1 innings on the mound before being relieved by Amber Boehme in the seventh.  McCroskie gave up five hits and struck out two while Boehme logged one strikeout. Sullivan and Dakota Newton had two hits apiece and Carter and McCroskie each added a solo homerun.

Following today's championship game, members of the AMC All-Conference team were announced in addition to the league's individual award winners.  Columbia's Rachel Sullivan was named to the AMC Second Team All-Conference while Carly Spalding, Paxton Welch and Molly Carter earned first team honors.  Carter was also named the American Midwest Conference Freshman of the Year.  For the complete list of award winners, visit www.amcsportsonline.com.

The Cougars finish the 2016 season with a 29-21 record.