COLUMBIA, Mo. - Columbia College softball made it a clean sweep on Friday, topping rival Stephens twice in identical 3-2 decisions to improve to 17-11 overall and 7-3 in conference play.

Ella Schouten had another dominant performance in the circle, going the full seven innings and striking out 15 of the 26 batters she faced. The Cougars drew first in the opening frame when Abigail Zismer reached and eventually scored on a Rosalie Schneider single to center field. Columbia pushed ahead 2-0 in the sixth when Kennedy Schanuth plated Taryn Hagardt, who had walked and stolen second, with a base hit to center.

Stephens answered in the bottom of the sixth when Landry Bales lined a two-run single to right to tie the game at 2-2. The Cougars responded immediately. Sophia Angel led off the seventh with a triple and scored the go-ahead run when the Stephens shortstop committed an error on Eleanor Schudel's grounder. Schouten picked up the win to improve to 7-5 on the season.

Kennedy Jensen got the start in game two and was sharp, limiting Stephens to one earned run over five innings before Micaiah Cordell came on to close it out with two scoreless frames, earning her first save of the season.

Columbia struck in the second inning when Kylee Page ripped a two-run double to center, scoring Sophia Angel and Cassidy Avery for a 2-0 lead. The Cougars added another in the third when Cassidy Avery's fielder's choice brought home Taryn Hagardt, who had reached on a Stephens error, for a 3-0 advantage.

Stephens chipped away with Elise Kendrick's RBI single made it 3-1 in the third, and an unearned run in the sixth pulled the hosts within one. Cordell retired the side in order in the seventh to seal the sweep. Jensen improved to 5-1 on the year.


Game One Statistical Leaders: 
CC def. Stephens, 3-2

• Sophia Angel finished 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored
• Rosalie Schneider and Kennedy Schanuth both finished 1-for-3, contributing a combined 2 RBI
• Taryn Hagardt drew two walks and scored from a Schanuth sinlge
• Pitching: 
  • Ella Schouten (W, 7-5): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 15 SO

Game Two Statistical Leaders: 
CC def. Stephens, 3-2 

• Kylee Page led the charge for the offense with a 2 RBI double 
• Cassidy Avery was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored
• Rosalie Schneider and Abigail Zismer each contributed hits in the win
• Pitching: 
  • Kennedy Jensen (W, 5-1): 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 SO
  • Micaiah Cordell (S, 1): 2 H, 2 SO

The Cougars will head to Hannibal, Mo. to take on the Trojans in a doubleheader tomorrow, April 4, starting at 1:00 p.m.