DAHLONEGA, Ga. — The No. 2-seeded Columbus State University softball team advanced to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship Game with a 4-3 win over No. 3-seeded Georgia College & State University on Saturday afternoon at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium. The Cougars improved to 35-20 overall with the semifinal victory.
Columbus State struck early, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Aubree Ussery opened the scoring with an RBI single to left field, bringing home
Ansley Collins.
Anna Waites followed with an RBI single to center field, scoring
Libby Buchanan to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.
Georgia College answered with one run in the top of the second, but Columbus State responded immediately in the bottom half. Ussery delivered again, singling through the left side to score
Mary-Catherine Sorrell and Collins, extending the Cougars' advantage to 4-1.
The Bobcats trimmed the deficit in the fifth inning when Karlie Gutierrez hit a two-run home run, cutting the Columbus State lead to 4-3. The Cougars held firm the rest of the way, keeping Georgia College off the scoreboard over the final two innings to secure the win.
Ussery led Columbus State at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI's. Waites added a 2-for-3 performance with one RBI, while Buchanan recorded a hit and scored a run. Collins scored twice and added a stolen base, while Sorrell scored once and also stole a base.
Khloe Shears earned the win in the circle, improving to 19-8 on the season. Shears tossed a complete game, allowing three runs on six hits with three walks over 7.0 innings.
Columbus State will face either No. 1-seeded North Georgia or No. 4-seeded Lander University in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship Game on Sunday, May 10. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium in Dahlonega, Ga.
