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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – Behind a trio of home runs and strong pitching performances, the Columbus State University softball team took a pair of games from West Alabama on Wednesday. The games were played at Cougar Field.
 
Columbus State (20-17) blanked the Tigers in game one 6-0 before giving up a late run in a 6-1 victory in the nightcap.
 
"This was an all-around effort tonight," head coach Brad Huskisson said. "All three of our pitchers threw it well, our offense hit well in situations and we got a couple home runs as well.
 
"This should provide us with some momentum and confidence heading into important conference games."
 
The Lady Cougars will head to Milledgeville, Ga. on Thursday for a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader against Georgia College. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
Game One
 
After a quick top of the first, Columbus State got rolling behind its speed on the base paths. Katie White doubled to the wall in left to start the inning and Kia Smith laid down a bunt single. After Smith reached first, the sophomore worked her way into a rundown, which allowed White to score from third.
 
The one run would prove to be enough for starter Peyton Sorrells. The freshman did not allow a runner to get past second base in her five innings of work.
 
The Lady Cougars added on with one swing in the fourth. A pair of singles put two runners on base for Keeli Waugh, who promptly unloaded the bases with a home run to centerfield. It was just the start of a big night for the sophomore.
 
It was the long ball again in the sixth that tacked on more runs for the Lady Cougars. McKenzie Fagioli led off with a single and Rachel Rhodes lined a ball off the batting cages beyond the left field wall to give the Lady Cougars their final margin.
 
The duo of Sorrells and Darby Demarest combined on the shutout for CSU. Sorrells (9-5) gave up just four hits over her five innings of work, while Demarest pitched two hitless innings to finish it off.
 
Rhodes and Elizabeth Perdue each had a pair of hits for the Lady Cougars, as eight of the nine starters picked up at least one hit.
 
Game Two
 
The back half of the doubleheader went in similar fashion for Columbus State.
 
White worked a walk to start the first inning and swiped second for her 25^th stolen base of the season. A groundout moved White to third and Calli Star brought her home with a groundout of her own.
 
The Lady Cougars were back at it in the third. Samie Anderson walked on four pitches to start the frame and White bunted her way on. Smith then drug a perfect bunt to a vacated second base position that allowed Anderson to score from second. White went to third on the play and Smith once again allowed her to score by getting into a rundown between first and second.
 
Hanna Manley had more than enough support in the circle from there, blanking the Tigers over the first five innings.
 
In the sixth, a single and error set the table for Waugh one more time. She struck again, hammering her second three-run homer of the doubleheader to put the game out of reach.
 
West Alabama (13-22) hit a solo home run in the seventh inning for its only run of the day.
 
Manley (7-6) worked five scoreless innings, giving up just four hits. Demarest closed out the final two frames for her first save of the season.
 
Waugh was the only Lady Cougar with multiple hits in game two, as CSU totaled just six for the game.