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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University softball team kicked off the season in style with a doubleheader sweep at the PBC/GSC Southern Softball Showdown played at South Commons.
 
CSU took down Union 10-2 in Saturday's opener and closed out the night with a 3-2 win over West Alabama.
 
"This was a great start to the season," head coach Brad Huskisson said. "We got great work in the circle today and our offense came ready to play."
 
Columbus State will play two more games on Sunday, taking on Shorter at 2 p.m. and Lee at 4:30 p.m.
 
Game One
 
Columbus State (2-0) got its season started on the right foot, putting a zero up in the top of the first and getting four runs of its own in the bottom half.
 
Five straight Lady Cougars reached to start the bottom of the first inning, started by Keeli Waugh's single. Calli Star walked followed by consecutive singles from McKenzie Fagioli, Kia Smith and Elizabeth Perdue. Smith plated a run with her knock, and Perdue drove in a pair.
 
Kayleigh Briant capped off the inning with a RBI groundout that made it a 4-0 game after one.
 
The four runs would be more than enough for the combination of Peyton Sorrells and Sydney Barker. Sorrells allowed a pair of runs in the third that cut the lead in half, but Union would get no more.
 
Briant got the two runs back in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run double before the Lady Cougars ended the game early in the sixth.
 
Johanna Beyer hit her first collegiate home run to start the sixth for CSU. A Perdue sacrifice fly and two runs off a throwing error gave Columbus State the mercy-rule victory.
 
Sorrells (1-0) allowed just the two runs in four innings of work. Barker tossed two scoreless in relief for the save.
 
Smith went 3-for-4 in the opener with three runs scored. Fagioli and Briant each had a pair of hits and Briant drove in three.
 
Game Two
 
Saturday's nightcap had a little more drama as the Lady Cougars had to come from behind after giving up a run in the top of the first.
 
The game remained 1-0 in West Alabama's favor until the fifth inning when the Lady Cougars took advantage of a pair of UWA miscues.
 
Briant singled to lead off the frame and Lee Anne Rees laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away putting runners on the corners. The Tigers then mishandled Brittany Mitchell's ground ball and Briant came across to score the tying run.
 
Two batters later, Waugh singled home Rees to surge the Lady Cougars in front.
 
CSU found some insurance in the sixth with Perdue driving home Fagioli, who doubled to start the inning.
 
Trying to finish what she started, Darby Demarest took a two-run lead into the seventh inning. After retiring two of the first three batters, a walk and two singles made it a 3-2 game and loaded the bases.
 
With the tying run just 60 feet away, Demarest was able to coax a fly out to secure the victory.
 
The sophomore allowed two runs on five hits for the complete game win. Demarest (1-0) struck out eight hitters.