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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – In its first of five games on the weekend, the Columbus State University softball team dropped a 7-5 decision against Bellarmine on Friday night. The game was played as part of the Cougar Classic at Cougar Field in Columbus.
 
Peyton Sorrells (2-1) took the loss for the Lady Cougars, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits in just two innings. Sydney Barker pitched well out of the Lady Cougar bullpen, limiting the Knights to just one run over four innings.
 
Ally Foster (5-1) slammed the door shut for Bellarmine, retiring the final 13 batters she faced in her 4.1 innings of shutout relief work. BU starter Marlee Tevis was roughed up for five runs in 2.2 innings in the circle.
 
"I'm disappointed with the errors defensively tonight," said head coach Brad Huskisson. "We had one bad inning tonight and it cost us. The good thing about these weekend tournaments is you get to play four or five games so you have a chance to move on quickly."
 
Eleven of the game's 12 runs were scored in back-to-back half innings in the second and third.
 
Bellarmine (5-3) struck first, getting six in the bottom of the second. After a groundout started the frame, Megan Bretz singled back through the middle to start a stretch of six straight batters to reach. Olivia Russell followed with a bunt single and Lillie Nitzken reached on the first Lady Cougar error of the night.
 
A wild pitch brought home the first run of the night and Katie Stamper banged a ball off the wall in left-centerfield to plate the next two. Two batters later, Foster launched a ball into the night sky for a three-run home run to make it a 6-0 BU lead.
 
Columbus State (3-4) would answer right back, putting a five spot on the board in the following half inning.
 
With two outs and the bases empty, Katie White worked a five-pitch walk. A wild pitch moved the senior to second and Kia Smith beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners. Calli Star then delivered for the Lady Cougars, driving a ball into right field. White came home to score and the ball was misplayed in the outfield allowing Smith to cross the plate.
 
McKenzie Fagioli kept the two-out rally going with a RBI knock of her own, and Kailey Boone followed with a run-scoring double to the wall in left. Boone's hit chased Tevis from the game.
 
Foster then came into the game and allowed a single to Rachel Rhodes that scored Boone and cut the deficit down to 6-5. The scoring stopped there for the Lady Cougars though as they would not get another base runner the rest of the night.
 
The only other run of the night came in the bottom of the fifth inning as Katie Stamper hit a solo home run to add some cushion to the Bellarmine lead.
 
Fagioli led the CSU offensive attack, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and one driven in.
 
Columbus State will play a pair of games on Saturday as the Cougar Classic continues. The Lady Cougars will take on Miles College at 2 p.m. and will play Bellarmine again at 4:30 p.m. Both games will be played at the South Commons Softball Complex in downtown Columbus.