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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University softball team earned a huge pair of wins Saturday, sweeping 13^th-ranked Armstrong State. The Peach Belt Conference doubleheader was played at Cougar Field.
 
Columbus State (24-16-1, 10-4 PBC) picked up 5-1 and 10-7 victories to topple the PBC leading Pirates.
 
"We played Lady Cougar softball tonight," head coach Brad Huskisson said. "We struggled last night, but the girls put that behind them and showed up to play today.
 
"We have to take these games and use this to drive us the rest of the regular season."
 
Columbus State will wrap up the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday evening against Montevallo. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
Game One
 
Armstrong State (23-8, 13-3) jumped on top early, hitting a solo home run in the top of the second inning.
 
CSU answered back in a big way in the third. McKenzie Fagioli was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game at one, and Calli Star followed with a RBI knock to push the Lady Cougars in front. Kayleigh Briant then piled on with a double into right-center that plated two more and extended the lead to 4-1.
 
Darby Demarest was dominant in the circle for the Lady Cougars and had all the run support she would need. The sophomore allowed just two Pirates to reach base between the third and sixth innings.
 
After CSU added a run via an error in the sixth, Demarest finished the complete-game effort with a strikeout. She struck out eight in the game, while allowing just four hits.
 
Briant and Savanna Turvy were each 2-for-3 to lead the CSU offense.
 
Game Two
 
Saturday's second game belonged to Elizabeth Perdue, as the sophomore put on a power display.
 
In the first inning, Perdue stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and promptly unloaded them with a grand slam over the left-centerfield wall.
 
With CSU's lead cut to 4-3 in the fourth, Perdue launched a solo shot to deep left to stem the momentum.
 
Armstrong tied the game with a two-out single in the fifth, but it was Perdue again that wouldn't let the Lady Cougars fall.
 
In the sixth, Perdue clubbed her third long ball of the night to give CSU the lead back at 6-5. The Lady Cougars added four more later in the inning, with the big blow coming on a three-run double from Star.
 
Perdue is the first Lady Cougar to homer three times in a game since Taylor Woods did so against Montevallo in 2015.
 
Demarest (7-4) tossed the final two innings of the game for her second win of the day. Peyton Sorrells worked the first five for the Lady Cougars, allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits.