NEWBERRY, S.C. – Columbus State softball opened the 2025 campaign on the road with the first two games of a three-game series at Newberry (S.C.) on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lady Cougars (1-1) split the doubleheader against the Wolves (1-1) taking game one 6-4 and slipping in game two 9-1.
 
Game One | Columbus State 6, Newberry 4
 
CSU struck first early in the opening frame with an unearned run scored by Nova Wright via an error on the shortstop. Wright reached on a walk and stole second before advancing to third on an error from the Wolves before scoring on the following miscue from the home team.
 
After a lead-off walk, a stolen base, and two ground outs, the Wolves leveled in the bottom half of the first inning with a score of their own. Columbus State followed with singles from Kara Wegienka and an RBI ground out from Gracyn Gurley to take a 2-1 lead before Wright doubled to score two more for a 4-1 advantage. CSU took advantage of two more errors from the hosts.
 
With the third and fourth frames resulting in scoreless efforts, Newberry cracked through the scoreless drought in the fifth carrying some momentum from the three-hit inning prior. The Wolves notched five hits and pushed home three runs to tie the game at four runs apiece.
 
The Lady Cougars came in clutch in the top of the seventh with a double from Anna Waites and a two RBI single from Aubree Ussery to take a 6-4 lead. Thankfully, CSU held on in the seventh to secure the win despite giving up a walk, a wild pitch, and a hit batter.
 
Quick Hits

• Wright led with two runs, two RBIs and a hit.
• Ussery added two RBIs on one hit.
• Julianna Franklin (1-0) picked up the win and the save in her first start of the season, tossing 6.2 innings. She struck out eight batters and gave up seven hits, one earned run, while walking four batters.
• Khloe Shears finished the final one-thirds inning, allowing four hits and three earned runs. 

Game Two | Columbus State 1, Newberry 9
 
Despite producing seven hits in the game, Columbus State struggled in the second contest dropping a 9-1 decision. The Lady Cougars went up early with a single from Ansley Collins and an RBI base hit from Holly Lynn to lead 1-0.
 
Newberry responded in the second inning with a lead-off homer to equalize the game. CSU notched three hits in the top of third, with Mary-Catherine Sorrell batting a lead-off single, but was caught stealing second moments later. Collins and Wright both reached on base hits but were left stranded.

The Wolves added two hits and produced two runs in the bottom of the fourth to lead 3-1 and further extended CSU's deficit in the fifth with three hits and four runs scored for a 7-1 edge. Newberry added insult to injury in the sixth inning with three additional hits and two runs to secure the 9-1 victory.
 
Quick Hits

• Collins and Wright both notched two hits while Lynn gathered the lone RBI.
• Wright finished the day with a double in both games.
• Lily Miller (0-1) picked up the loss, pitching the first 3.0 innings, giving away three earned runs on three hits, two walks and one strikeout.
• Gurley closed the game with 2.2 innings' worth of work, giving up seven hits, six earned runs and two walks while striking out two.

Next Up

• Columbus State wraps up the weekend with a solo game Noon ET from Newberry, S.C.