COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University softball team capped off the 2020 CSU Classic with two victories on Sunday. The five-team event took place at Cougar Field on the campus of Columbus State.

The Lady Cougars (3-5) began the day with a 12-2 five-inning victory over Union before a 5-2 win against Shorter in the nightcap. 

"The team brought the intensity today and it showed," commented head coach Brad Huskisson. "We got the bats going in game one and Hannah Rose [Corbin] was brilliant in the circle against Shorter."

"We need to keep the momentum going for next weekend's tournament."

Game One - Union

Columbus State left no doubt against Union putting a 10-spot on the board in the bottom of the first. An error scored Katelyn Cooper, who led off the inning with a single, for the first run of the game before Paige Vincent made it 2-0 with an RBI single to center.

Freshman Emily Holmes delivered the big blow in the frame with a three-run homer over the left-centerfield wall.

The next four Cougar runs crossed the plate either by a walk or a hit batsman. Holmes delivered her second run-scoring hit to push across the 10^th run of the frame.

That would be plenty of run support for senior Harley Dawson. Dawson didn't allow a hit over the first three innings before Union (5-3) got on the board in the fourth. Dawson (2-1) tossed a complete game allowing one run on two hits while striking out three. 

Holmes was 2-for-3 with the homer and four RBIs while Vincent was 2-for-2 with a walk. Vincent also recorded a multi-RBI game driving in a pair.

Game Two - Shorter

Like they did in game one, the Cougars jumped all over Shorter in the nightcap. Back-to-back two-out doubles by Madeline Parker and Vincent quickly put two runs on the board for CSU. 

Columbus State added a single run in the second after another double, this one by Mary Horne, that put the Cougars in business. Needing another two-out hit, Cooper came through, singling down the line to make it 3-0.

Shorter (0-5) pulled within one of the lead in the fourth. Hannah Rose Corbin was cruising through three racking up five strikeouts, including punching out the side in the second. However, a leadoff walk and a homer cut into the Cougar advantage. 

In the bottom of the sixth, a fielding error and a sacrifice fly off the bat from Kirstin Reynolds added two insurance runs for Columbus State. 

Corbin (1-1) slammed the door shut in the seventh to pick up her first win of the season. The sophomore struck out a career-high 10 while allowing two runs on three hits. 

Vincent (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) and Horne (2-for-3, 2B, run) both collected two hits to cap off the weekend. Parker was 1-for-3 with an RBI double.

Up Next

The Lady Cougars will host the 2020 Cougar Classic beginning Friday, Feb. 14. CSU will play four games over the weekend against Albany State, Union, Coker, and Queens.

Cougar Trends

• Vincent was 4-for-5 with a double over Sunday. The freshman has hit safely in all six games that she has started. 

• Six of CSU's 12 runs against Union came with two-outs.

• The Cougars had six stolen bases versus Shorter. Elyse Ambrose and Horne both had two. 

• Corbin's previous career-high in strikeouts was eight. She did it twice in 2019 (vs. Palm Beach Atlantic and Virginia-Wise.).

• Elston has reached base in 32 straight games dating back to last season.

• Before today, the Cougar pitching staff only had one complete game. CSU tossed two on Sunday. 

• Columbus State went 3-1 over the weekend. 

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