COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University softball team capped off a three-game Peach Belt Conference sweep of Augusta University on Saturday by dominantly taking both ends of a doubleheader at Cougar Field.
The Cougars (16-4, 7-2 PBC) began the day with a 13-5 5-inning mercy-rule win before tossing a shutout in a 7-0 victory.
"I thought we were very aggressive at the plate and set the tone for the day," commented head coach
Brad Huskisson. "We got production out of many different players today, and I hope we can keep this momentum going for next week."
Game 1 | CSU 13, AU 5
Like game one of the series, Augusta (12-19, 1-11 PBC) threatened in the top of the first inning, loading the bases on two walks and a hit batter against Cougar starter
Jessica Lopez. Unlike Friday however, AU pushed a run across on an RBI groundout from Bailee Roberts to go in front 1-0. Lopez and the Cougars wiggled out of the jam without further damage.
Augusta didn't stay on top for long as the Cougars came right back in their half of the first. A
Caitlyn Canady single and a throwing error put runners on the corners for CSU with no outs and brought up Cougar slugger
Hannah Rose Corbin. Corbin lofted a ball into right field that Summer Frye lost in the sun, allowing Canady to score and Corbin to reach second. A batter later,
Morgan Elston gave CSU a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly.
The Cougars added two more runs in the second. With
Kenzie Bayer on third, Columbus State called for the squeeze bunt with
Lindsey Patton at the plate. Patton got the bunt down perfectly to score Bayer and also forced AU's third baseman Shelbie Summerlin to hurry her throw. The throwing error allowed Patton to reach second safely and proved to be costly as
Katelyn Cooper made it 4-1 with a hard-hit double to left.
Things went south for Lopez in the third. Jakayla Sullivan began the frame with a leadoff homer before Kali Garrett hit a two-run shot two batters later to even the score at four.
Haylee Folds entered the game for Lopez after the starter issued back-to-back walks, but the Jaguars kept attacking. A pinch-hit single from Tori Pinner loaded the bases for AU before a free pass put the Jags up 5-4. Folds limited the damage after a fielder's choice and fly out got Columbus State out of the inning.
Augusta would stay in front until the fourth when the Cougars erupted. After the Cougars loaded the bases with one out, the wheels fell off for AU as a passed ball and a fielding error pushed CSU in front 6-5.
Madeline Parker made matters worse with a two-run single to left-center before Bayer made it 10-5 with a two-run double. Patton collected another RBI in the inning with a single to center.
Columbus State finished the run-rule victory in the fifth by scoring two runs.
Paige Vincent hit a solo homer to begin the inning, while Bayer drove home freshman Sidney Singleton with a single. Singleton reached first after recording her first collegiate hit earlier in the inning.
CSU had 11 hits in the game, led by a 3-for-3 performance from Bayer. The sophomore had two doubles and also knocked in three runs. Elston (0-for-1, SF), Parker (1-for-3) and Patton (1-for-1, SB) all drove in two for the Cougars.
Folds (2-3) earned the win in the circle after tossing 2.2 innings in relief. She allowed just one hit while punching out two. Lopez tossed 2.1 innings, allowing five runs on five walks and two hits.
Roberts (1-for-3, 2-run HR) had three RBIs for Augusta.
Game 2 | CSU 7, AU 0
It was all Columbus State in the series finale as
Hannah Rose Corbin set the tone in the bottom of the first with a three-run opposite-field home run to give the Cougars all the runs they needed.
After Corbin threw a scoreless second in the circle, the Cougar offense went back to work. Canady drew a leadoff walk to get things started before quickly moving into scoring position on a wild pitch. Vincent made the Jaguars pay, singling to centerfield to push the margin to 4-0.
CSU loaded the bases from there thanks to a Corbin walk and an Elston single. AU recorded the first out of the inning on a fielder's choice, but Bayer capitalized on the run-scoring chance with a sac fly to add to the lead.
Corbin faced the minimum in the third and fourth after CSU turned a 6-4-3 double-play to erase a Sullivan leadoff single in the third.
The Cougars put the final touches on the win in the fourth on back-to-back run-scoring hits from Bayer and
Laura Harris.
Lopez (2 IP, 3 Ks) and
Taylor Currie (1 IP) finished off CSU's fourth shutout of the year by tossing the final three innings.
Corbin (12-5) grabbed her second win of the weekend after four innings of one-hit work. She was 1-for-2 at the plate as well with two runs scored.
Bayer concluded her great weekend by driving in two more runs with a 2-for-2 outing at the plate.
UP NEXT
Columbus State hosts the University of West Florida in a non-conference doubleheader at Cougar Field on Wednesday, March 30. First pitch is at 1 p.m. It's also Sea of Red Day, with all Cougar fans being encouraged to dawn their Cougar Red!
