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COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University softball team split its opening two games at the Southern Softball Showdown to start the 2018 season. The Lady Cougars lost 5-4 to No. 18 Valdosta State and battled back for a 7-1 win over Florida Tech Saturday afternoon. The games were played at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus.
 
"We really would have liked to go 2-0 today, but I liked what I saw out of our team," head coach Brad Huskisson said. "I thought we competed well throughout the day and put ourselves in position to be successful."
 
The Lady Cougars will wrap up the season-opening tournament with a pair of games on Sunday. CSU will take on Lynn at 12:30 p.m. and follow it up against Montevallo at 3 p.m.
 
Game One
 
Columbus State jumped on Valdosta State early in the opener. Two infield singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out in the second inning. After a pair of strikeouts, Mary Horne was hit by a pitch to force home the first run and Keeli Waugh brought in another with a walk.
 
The Blazers got one back in the bottom half of the inning, but the Lady Cougars tacked two more on in the fifth. Elizabeth Perdue singled home Kia Smith and McKenzie Fagioli stepped on the plate via a passed ball.
 
Valdosta State stormed back in the bottom of the fifth though, plating three runs to tie the game. The Blazers then took the lead on a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Calli Star singled with one out in the seventh as CSU tried to rally, but that was the only hitter to reach in the inning.
 
Darby Demarest worked five innings for the Lady Cougars, allowing four runs while striking out eight. Harley Dawson got the loss giving up a run in the only inning she pitched.
 
Game Two
 
Saturday's second game began with a bang as the Lady Cougars put four runs on the board in the second inning with one swing of the bat. Star doubled to lead off the frame and a hit by pitch and single loaded the bases.
 
Johanna Beyer brought all of them home with a grand slam for CSU's first long ball of the season.
 
Perdue doubled home a run in the third, while Harley Dawson and Kia Smith picked up RBI singles in the fifth and sixth, respectively.
 
Peyton Sorrells got the victory for the Lady Cougars, allowing just one run in five innings in the circle. Dawson closed out the game with two scoreless innings.