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DAHLONEGA, Ga. - The Columbus State University softball team got swept by 4th-ranked North Georgia on Wednesday. The Peach Belt Conference doubleheader took place at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium.
Columbus State (31-15, 11-5 PBC) was swept for the first time since the opening weekend, dropping the first game 3-0 before losing in the second 5-1.
"We knew North Georgia was going to be a tough team to go up against," said head coach Brad Huskisson. "They're one of the best teams in the nation for a reason. They took full advantage of our errors which came back to really cost us."
The Lady Cougars will head home to wrap up their regular season with four conference games at Cougar Field. The doubleheader against UNC Pembroke is scheduled for Friday, April 26 with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Game One
One costly inning came back to bite the Lady Cougars in the opening game after they allowed North Georgia to plate three runs in the bottom of the second.
The Nighthawks led the inning off with a solo home run into left field and then took advantage of small ball to get two more across. An error and a walk put two on, and both runners picked up stolen bases to move into scoring position before a bunt squeezed one home.
A sac-fly would bring the third run across before the Lady Cougars retired the side.
Aside from the second inning, the Lady Cougars didn't let UNG get going at the plate thanks to their pitching.
In a dual with two of the best pitchers in the PBC, Darby Demarest went the distance, giving up just three hits and one earned while striking out six.
Demarest (16-5) allowed just one single as the lone Nighthawk hit in the final three innings she pitched. The senior retired 11 of the last 13 batters she faced, while picking up at least one strikeout in five of the six innings inside the circle.
The Lady Cougars had opportunities with two runners on in both the fifth and sixth innings. But a strikeout and a groundout would end the chances leaving CSU scoreless.
Morgan Elston picked up the lone hit for Columbus State going 1-for-2 with a HBP.
Game Two
Columbus State couldn't get the bats going for the second straight game, limited to just one run in the 5-1 defeat.
Once again it was a second inning error that allowed the Nighthawks to jump in front, going up 2-0 after two.
But CSU would respond in the fourth when Hannah Rose Corbin led the inning off with a walk and Elston followed with a single. After Corbin moved to third on a flyout, she came across home plate on a sac-fly from Elizabeth Perdue.
Trailing 3-1, the Lady Cougars would have another opportunity when the sixth inning rolled around. Singles by Chandler DesRochers and Elston put two on with only one out. But back-to-back batters would fly out on first pitch swings, stranding the runners.
UNG would respond by adding two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth making it a 5-1 scoreline.
Corbin went the distance inside the circle giving up seven hits and three earned with one strikeout.
Elston snatched multiple hits in the second game going 2-for-3 at the plate.
