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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University softball team dropped a pair of games, 8-1 and 7-1, against eighth-ranked North Georgia on Friday afternoon. The Peach Belt Conference contests were played at Cougar Field.
 
The Lady Cougars fall to 18-15 on the season and 4-4 in conference play.
 
"I thought we pitched pretty well today," head coach Brad Huskisson said. "We made a few defensive miscues though, and North Georgia took advantage of them every time.
 
"We can't let these losses linger. We have another tough doubleheader tomorrow, so we need to move on and focus on a good Young Harris team."
 
Columbus State will host Young Harris for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at Cougar Field with a recognition of military members prior to first pitch.
 
Game One
 
Friday's opener started as a pitcher's duel with Hanna Manley matching zeroes with UNG's Courtney Poole through the first three innings. Manley retired the first eight hitters she faced before running into trouble in the fourth.
 
North Georgia (34-5, 12-0 PBC) put a pair of runners on in the fourth with only one out, but Manley picked up a big strikeout to get within one out of getting out of the inning.
 
The right-hander induced a groundball that appeared to get the Lady Cougars out of the jam, but the throw to first was wide of the mark and two runs came around to score. The Nighthawks made the error hurt extra as the next hitter followed with a two-run home run to make it 4-0.
 
UNG put three more runs on the board in the fifth and one in the six to threaten a mercy-rule victory. However, Columbus State scratched a run across in the sixth to prolong the game.
 
Kia Smith doubled into left-centerfield with one out to create the scoring opportunity. With two down, McKenzie Fagioli cued a ball to first ball that spun away from the first baseman. The ball was then booted around and Smith raced home from second to put CSU in the scoring column.
 
The next hitter was retired and the Lady Cougars went quietly in the seventh to wrap up game one.
 
Hanna Manley (6-5) took the loss, tossing a complete game. The junior allowed eight runs (four earned) on 12 hits with two strikeouts.
 
Smith (2-for-3) had two of the four CSU hits in the game.
 
Game Two
 
North Georgia needed just two batters to get on top on the second game. A wild pitch on a strikeout allowed the leadoff hitter to reach and a double off the wall brought in the first run. The Nighthawks added another later in the inning to take a 2-0 advantage.
 
Columbus State answered back, stringing together three straight hits in the bottom half of the frame. Smith beat out a groundball to shortstop to start the rally and Calli Star rolled a ball into left field to give CSU a pair of runners. Fagioli then bounced a ball off the third base bag and into the outfield scoring Smith and cutting the deficit in half.
 
The Nighthawks took advantage of another costly miscue in the second inning to pad three more runs on their lead and pull away.
 
CSU would not threaten at the plate again until the sixth and seventh innings when it got two hits in each, but left all four runners on base.
 
Peyton Sorrells (8-4) started for the Lady Cougars, giving up six runs (three earned) on six hits in three-plus innings. Darby Demarest tossed the final four, holding UNG to one run on three hits with five strikeouts.
 
Fagioli and Star each went 2-for-3 to lead the Columbus State offense.