MELBOURNE, Fla. – Columbus State softball wrapped up the Space Coast Spring Games on Sunday afternoon with two games in Melbourne, Florida.
The Lady Cougars (19-6) secured an eight-inning comeback win against Jefferson (Pa.) but slipped in a 4-0 loss to West Chester (Pa.) in the final game of the weekend.
Game One | Columbus State 4, Jefferson 3
An RBI double from
Madison Norrell and an RBI single to left field from
Mae Durham lifted CSU to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. After scoreless affairs in the second and third innings, the Lady Cougars scored another run off a wild throw to lead by three runs.
Jefferson followed up with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two on a triple to right field with an RBI ground out to score the leveling run. Both teams struggled to produce much offensively in the sixth and seventh innings to produce two scoreless innings, forcing an extra-inning. An RBI base hit from Norrell gave CSU the 4-3 lead with just the bottom of the eighth to play, shutting the door on the Rams and securing the win.
Julianna Franklin picked up the win with 7.0 innings pitched. After
Gracyn Gurley came in for relief in the fifth, Franklin re-entered in the sixth and finished the game, allowing just one hit and producing three strikeouts.
Game Two | Columbus State 0, West Chester 4
Columbus State struggled in the final game of the weekend, falling 4-0 to West Chester. CSU notched just three hits in the game with two coming in the first at-bats of the opening frame, leaving the pair of runners stranded.
West Chester went 3-for-3 to open the fourth inning with a pair of singles and a two-RBI triple to score two runs. The guests on the scoreboard added one more with a sacrifice fly to lead by three runs before adding another in the fifth for a 4-0 lead.
Unfortunately for CSU,
Izzy Ripatti's lone hit in the bottom half of the fifth was the last hit for the Lady Cougars. CSU finished with an 8-3 deficit in hits to West Chester.
Khloe Shears tossed for 4.2 innings followed by 2.1 from Franklin. Shears received the loss after five hits, four earned runs on four strike outs and one walk.
Next Up
- Columbus State will host a neutral site contest on Wednesday against Alabama-Huntsville in Trussville, Ala.