COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University softball team lost a pair of games to No. 2 North Georgia in the Peach Belt Conference series opener at Cougar Field Saturday afternoon. With the losses, the Cougars drop to 25-17 overall (14-6 PBC), and the Nighthawks improve to 36-5 overall (15-1 PBC). 

Game One - CSU 4, UNG 5

Laura Harris led the way at the plate for the Cougars, going 2-for-4 with one RBI. Katelyn Cooper scored two runs and hit her first triple of the season. 

Haylee Folds received the loss in the circle for the Cougars after pitching 4.1 innings with three strikeouts and only one walk. She drops to 8-5 on the year. 

How It Happened 

The Cougars jumped on the board first in the bottom of the first inning when Kenzie Bayer walked with bases loaded to score Cooper from third.

However, North Georgia quickly responded in the third inning, sending a home run to right field, driving in two runs. Blair followed suit with another home run to left field, extending North Georgia's lead to 3-1.

Columbus State fought back in the fourth inning when Laura Harris singled, bringing in an RBI as Kristen Odum scored, closing the gap to 3-2.

North Georgia continued their offensive hot streak in the fifth inning, scoring off an RBI double and an error by the Cougars defense, putting North Georgia ahead 5-2.

Columbus State made a valiant effort in the sixth inning, with Harris reaching on a fielding error by third base scoring Cooper. Nova Wright also reached on an error by right field, bringing Bayer home and closing the gap to 5-4. 

However, North Georgia's defense held off Columbus State's late rally, securing them a victory with a final score of 5-4.

Game Two - CSU 4, UNG 7

Nova Wright hit her seventh home run of the season, driving in two RBIs in game two of the doubleheader. Kenzie Bayer also drove in a pair of RBIs off a single to tie up the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. 

How It Happened

The Cougars and the Nighthawks went scoreless in the first and the second innings. 

North Georgia got on the board first with a double that scored one in the top of the third. Then the Nighthawks scored again off an error, extending North Georgia's lead to 2-0.

North Georgia extended their lead even further in the fourth inning after a two-run home run to left field. 

Columbus State quickly responded with Wright hitting a home run to center field in the same inning, bringing in Cooper putting the Cougars on the board with two. Bayer then stepped up to the plate, hitting a single through the gap on the right side, tying the game up at 4-4. 

The game remained tied until the seventh inning when North Georgia made a comeback off a home run to center field followed by another home run to right field. Wicker then stole second base and advanced to third on two errors, scoring another run for North Georgia.

Ultimately, North Georgia emerged victorious with a final score of 7-4 over Columbus State.

UP NEXT 

The Cougars will be back at Cougar Field on Sunday, April 7, for the final game of the series with North Georgia starting at 1 p.m.