COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University softball team closed out their holiday weekend with a split on Sunday playing a pair of games in Montgomery, Ala.
CSU lost to Auburn University Montgomery 9-1 in game one before taking down Spring Hill College 8-0 in five innings in game two.
GAME 1
Not much went right for the Cougars from the opening pitch as Auburn Montgomery scored four runs in the bottom of the first off of starter Riley Patton. Hannah Rose Corbin got CSU on the board in the third with an opposite field homer over the right field wall, but the Warhawks came right back in their half of the inning with five more runs. AUM caused havoc on the base paths during the inning helping the hosts to a 9-1 lead.
The Cougars put two on in the fourth and one in the fifth but failed to score a run leading to the mercy rule defeat.
Patton (1-1) took the loss after not making it through the first. Corbin (1-for-3, HR), Caitlyn Canady (1-for-2) and Elyse Ambrose (1-for-2) had the three Cougar hits.
GAME 2
The Cougars bounced back in game two against Spring Hill College, grabbing an 8-0 mercy rule victory of their own. This time, it was Columbus State who did the early damage as the Cougars scored four runs in the first. After Corbin drew a walk to begin the game, Canady tripled to right field to make it 1-0. Canady later scored after Morgan Elston, who walked, got in a run down which allowed Canady to cross the plate. CSU got two more aboard following an Ambrose double and a Madeline Parker single before a crucial SHC error extended the inning and let both runners score extending the lead to 4-0.
That would be all the support starter Harley Dawson would need. The senior allowed just one hit in 3.1 scoreless innings while punching out a pair. She didn't run into any trouble until the fourth-inning error loaded the bases for Spring Hill. However, R. Patton would enter and slam the door shut to keep the shutout bid alive.
Columbus State added on runs in the third before the fourth inning drama thanks to a pair of two-run homers from Kirsten Reynolds and Laura Harris.
Harris was 2-for-2 with the two-run homer while Ambrose was 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. Five other Cougars picked up hits during the game.
Columbus State will look for revenge against AUM next Saturday, Feb. 20 at Cougar Field in Columbus. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
