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By: Josh Fuller

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Continuing a long stretch away from Columbus, the Columbus State University softball team dropped a pair of games to West Florida Wednesday. Both games took place at the UWF Softball Complex in Pensacola, Fla.
 
The Lady Cougars lost the first game 7-2 before a seventh inning rally came up just short in the nightcap as UWF held on for a 5-3 victory.
 
Columbus State will be right back in action Thursday playing a doubleheader against Albany State. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Albany, Ga.
 
Game One
 
The Lady Cougars had a chance to jump on West Florida starter Becca Taylor early getting singles by Kia Smith and Calli Star in the first. However, Smith was caught stealing and a grounder got the Argonauts out of the inning unharmed.
 
In the second, UWF took a 1-0 lead thanks to shaky defensive play by CSU. After the first two batters of the inning reached base, Kayla Rosario laid down a bunt, but Lady Cougar pitcher Peyton Sorrells couldn't handle the ball loading the bases.
 
After a soft grounder back to Sorrells, who got the force out at the plate, Caitlin Steel hit a grounder to third where Katie White stepped on the bag before trying to double up Steel at first. However, Steel beat the throw allowing a run to cross to put UWF in front.
 
In the third, West Florida added four more to go in front 5-0. Kathleen Smiley, Emily Pettigrew and Rosario all had RBI singles in the frame while Steel drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
 
After two more UWF runs in the fourth, Columbus State got on the board in the fifth as Elizabeth Perdue hit her third home run of the season over the right-centerfield wall. CSU added a run in the seventh on a Kayleigh Briant RBI single.
 
Six different Lady Cougars had hits in the game with Perdue and Briant driving in the only runs.
 
Pettigrew was 3-for-4 with three RBIs for West Florida.
 
Sorrells (5-3) took the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) over three innings. Sydney Barker threw the final three innings for the Lady Cougars.
 
Taylor (7-2) threw four shutout innings to record the win for the Argonauts.

Game Two
 
Game two was more of a pitching duel as both Hanna Manley and Kayln Chapman threw well.
 
Manley's only mistake in the first five innings came in the second as Chapman hit a two-run home run to put West Florida on top 2-0.
 
Columbus State (10-9) didn't record its first hit until the fourth inning when Star beat out an infield single to third. However, she was stranded on second after a groundout.
 
All the action came in the sixth as the Lady Cougars rallied to tie the game at two. White was hit by a pitch to begin the frame before moving to second on a failed pickoff attempt. After a groundout and a strikeout, White was able to score on a wild pitch to make it a one-run game.
 
Kailey Boone extended the inning with a single before Perdue tied the game up with a clutch two-out single up the middle chasing home McKenize Fagioli.
 
It didn't take long for West Florida (14-4) to retake the lead as the Argonauts scored three in the bottom half to go back in front 5-2. With one out, Rhiannon Sassman reached on a fielding error which started a stretch of five straight UWF hitters reaching base. Chapman drove in another run while Steel notched a run-scoring single.
 
The Lady Cougars tried to rally one more time in the seventh with two outs. White walked before Smith reached base on an error. Star prolonged the game driving in White with a single to left-center, but Chapman got a grounder to end the threat.
 
Star was 2-for-4 at the plate with a RBI while Perdue drove in one after going 1-for-3.
 
Manley (1-3) took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) in six innings. Chapman (4-1) struck out 10 in the complete game effort for West Florida.
 
Chapman also led UWF on offense going 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs.