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COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University softball team split a doubleheader against Palm Beach Atlantic Tuesday, losing the first game 10-2 before hitting a walk off in extra innings to win 2-1 in the second game.

"It's good to see us bounce-back in the second game, especially when we were down to our final strike," coach Brad Huskisson said. "But there's plenty that we need to work on. When you have four errors and strand the bases loaded numerous times, we've got to get those mistakes corrected especially with conference play rolling around."

Columbus State (14-7) will be right back at Cougar Field Wednesday to take on Nova Southeastern in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Game One

PBA jumped out to the early 3-0 lead on Columbus State in the top of the first thanks to some small ball by the Sailfish. After a leadoff double, Palm Beach Atlantic used three bunt singles with three stolen bases to help them to plate three runs in the opening frame. 

CSU would have an immediate opportunity to respond in the bottom of the frame as they quickly loaded the bases with just one out thanks to three walks. But a fly out by Elizabeth Perdue and a groundout from Paris Poston stranded the bases loaded.

In the second inning senior pitcher Darby Demarest recorded a historical moment with her teammates. She picked up her third strikeout of the game to record the second out of the inning which set a new Columbus State University all-time strikeout record. Angela Lancaster had the school record with 506 strikeouts but the senior Demarest surpassed the record recording her 507^th career strikeout. 

Columbus State would find themselves with the bases-loaded for the second time in as many innings, but this time with no outs. Unfortunately they weren't able to bring a single run across one more time. A strikeout, infield fly, and a fly out to left would strand all three runners on the base paths one more time keeping the Lady Cougars down by three. 

But CSU would creep back into the game thanks to an RBI groundout by Poston in the third and a run scored by Morgan Elston off an error in the fourth to cut the deficit to one. 

Palm Beach Atlantic would respond in the following frame and keep the runs scoring as they put up three in the fifth, and two more in the final two innings to pull away from CSU. 

Perdue led the way for the Lady Cougars in the opening game going 2-for-4 at the plate. 

Game Two

For the second straight game the Sailfish would jump out in front in the top of first thanks to an RBI-single giving them the 1-0 lead. 

The Lady Cougars would finally get an opportunity to put a run on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Two singles and a walk got the bases loaded with two outs but a strikeout would leave the bases runners on the paths and CSU without a run. 

Hannah Rose Corbin would continue to dominate inside the circle to keep CSU within striking distance. The Sailfish would have at least one runner on base in all eight innings but Corbin would fight her way out of trouble each time. The freshman picked up strikeouts to end the second, fourth and seventh innings to leave runs off the board. 

Columbus State would get their opportunity in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game as they led off with pinch-hitter Mary Horne. The junior delivered a leadoff single to get on base before being moved over to second. Kirstin Reynolds would be the one to bring Horne home on a hard hit ball that got past the shortstop and into the outfield to tie the game at 1-1. 

In extras with a runner placed on second base, Corbin proceeded to go three up three down to bring the Lady Cougar bats back up to the plate giving them a chance to walk it off. 

It only took one batter, as the senior Perdue rocked a double into left field that bounced off the wall easily scoring Ambrose for the game winning run. 

Corbin (5-2) went the distance going 8.0 innings inside the circle giving up just one run while striking out eight.