Like Columbus State Athletics on Facebook!
Tweet #GoCSU

By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – For the second straight day, the Columbus State University softball team swept a pair of games in the 2016 Cougar Classic. The games were played at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus.
 
Columbus State (7-4) defeated Lincoln Memorial 9-4 in the opener and then added a 5-1 win over Miles in the nightcap.
 
"This was a good weekend," said head coach Brad Huskisson. "We had a tough loss on Friday night against Bellarmine, but we responded and played well the last two days."
 
The Lady Cougars will hit the road on Wednesday to play a non-conference doubleheader at Georgia Southwestern. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Americus, Ga.
 
Game One
 
The opening game got off to an ominous start for the Lady Cougars as they went down in order in the top of the first and gave up a two-run home run in the bottom half.
 
Despite putting at least one runner on in each of the next three innings, CSU couldn't break through against Lincoln Memorial (1-6). However, the tide finally swung the way of the Lady Cougars in the fifth.
 
Freshman Kayleigh Briant was hit by a pitch to start the frame and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Lee Anne Rees. Katie White was hit by a pitch as well, setting the table for Kia Smith. The sophomore centerfielder delivered with a big two-run single to right-centerfield that tied the game.
 
Following a pitching change, Smith stole second and advanced to third on a fly out. McKenzie Fagioli then put the Lady Cougars in front for the first time, beating out an infield single that brought Smith across the plate.
 
The hits kept coming for Columbus State as Kailey Boone doubled to the wall in right to score Fagioli and Rachel Rhodes brought in Boone with a run-scoring hit of her own. In the inning, 11 Lady Cougars came to the plate and CSU exited the half inning with a 5-2 lead.
 
The score held at 5-2 until Columbus State blew the game open in the seventh. Rhodes and Keeli Waugh each picked up one-out hits and Rhodes scored on a LMU error. Later in the frame, Smith walked with the bases loaded to score Waugh and Calli Star drove the final nail in the coffin with a two-run single into right.
 
Rhodes led the CSU offense, going 3-for-4, while Fagioli and Waugh had multi-hit days. Smith drove in three runs in the win.
 
Sydney Barker (3-1) tossed the final five innings of the contest for the Lady Cougars, surrendering just two runs on five hits.
 
Game Two
 
As it was in the first game of the day, the Columbus State opposition got on the board first in game two. Miles (0-11) made a leadoff walk work in its favor, bringing it home to score with a two-out double.
 
The Lady Cougars got the run back plus two more with one swing in the second. Waugh and Rees each reached base and White brought everyone home with her first home run of the season.
 
CSU added its final two runs to the board with three straight hits in the fourth. Rees doubled with two away and scored on White's second hit of the game. Smith followed with a double down the left field line allowing White to circle the bases and score.
 
The Columbus State pitching staff took care of the rest of the work, keeping the Golden Bears scoreless over the final six innings.
 
Peyton Sorrells (4-1) worked the first four innings, giving up just the first inning run and three hits. Hanna Manley closed out the final three frames, striking out four hitters and earning the save.

White, Smith and Waugh each had two hits in game two, while White drove in four of the five runs.