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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – In the opening doubleheader of the weekend, the Columbus State University softball team lost a pair of games 14-0 and 1-0 to USC Aiken on Saturday. The Peach Belt Conference doubleheader was played at Cougar Field.
 
Columbus State (21-20, 5-9 PBC) had just five hits combined in the doubleheader.
 
"This was a tough day," head coach Brad Huskisson said. "You're not going to score five or six runs every night and our offense struggled tonight.
 
"I thought Hanna [Manley] threw her best game of the year in game two, but we weren't able to get anything going at the plate."
 
The Lady Cougars are right back in action, hosting Lander on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Senior Day festivities will take place prior to the start of the doubleheader.
 
Game One
 
Despite the final score, the opening game was dominated by the pitchers in the early going.
 
Peyton Sorrells rolled through the first four innings, giving up a two-out single in the first before retiring 10 straight hitters. USC Aiken (22-10, 6-4) matched zeroes with Sorrells, sending the game scoreless to the fifth.
 
A leadoff walk and a pair of bunts loaded the bases for the Pacers and Andrea Daring brought everyone home with one swing. The grand slam broke the scoreless game and gave USCA more than enough cushion.
 
The Pacers then broke the game open with 10 runs in the sixth to end the game an inning early.
 
Kailey Boone had the only hit of the game for the Lady Cougars, a leadoff single in the third.
 
Peyton Sorrells (10-6) was hit with the loss after allowing nine runs (seven earned) in six innings of work.
 
Game Two
 
The pitchers were in control in the day's second game as well.
 
The Columbus State defense shined early, as Hanna Manley started a double play to erase a one-out single in the first inning.

USC Aiken scratched the only run across the plate in the second. After a leadoff double, the Pacers moved up on a groundout and a bunt single brought the runner home for the only run USCA would need.
 
The Lady Cougars put a runner on base in every inning except the sixth and had a runner in scoring position in four of the innings.
 
CSU's best scoring opportunity came in the second after singles from Kayleigh Briant and Keeli Waugh put runners on the corners with only one out. However, a strikeout and grounded stranded the pair.
 
Columbus State put the tying run on second base with just one out in the seventh inning, but again could not bring the run across.
 
Manley (7-8) went the distance and took the tough loss. The junior gave up just the one run on six hits.