Cougars Lose One, Tie One at Erskine on Tuesday

Due West, S.C. -- Columbus State saw Erskine College come back from a 4-3 deficit in the bottom of the seventh on Tuesday to score twice and take a 5-4 win in the first game of a double header. The second game was halted due to darkness after CSU tied the contest with four runs in the top of the seventh.

The Cougars grabbed the early lead in game one, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. Kristi Bullard did the honors again, launching a three-run homer to put CSU up 3-0. The clout was the seventh of the season for Bullard and scored Keeley Kennedy and Carrie Jones.

Erskine answered with two runs in the second inning on a two-run homer, and then tied the game in the sixth with an unearned run. The Cougars got a double from Bullard and Morgan Staffins scored her with a sacrifice fly two batters later for the 4-3 lead.

The Flying Fleet then got a two-out hit to score two runs in the seventh. The hit came after a controversial no-call on a third strike in which players from both teams were leaving the field before they realized the pitch had been called a ball.

Jennifer Isasi suffered the hard-luck loss after coming on to pitch the seventh in a save situation. Kelsey Gilliam had started for CSU and allowed two earned runs on five hits in six innings of work. Gilliam struck out five.

Kennedy and Bullard led an 11-hit attack with three hits each.

In the nightcap, CSU found itself down 6-2 heading to the top of the seventh. The Cougars had scored single runs in the third and fifth innings, but were unable to keep the Flying Fleet from taking the big lead.

Kennedy reached on an error to start the seventh and then Christie Thompson doubled to put runners in scoring position. Carrie Jones then blasted a three-run homer to pull the Cougars within a run. Bullard then singled and move to second on an error by the left fielder. After consecutive strikeouts by Rocky Hemmer and Staffins, Kori Waugh delivered the equalizing run with a single to score Bullard.

Gilliam then allowed just a single in the bottom of the seventh and kept Erskine off the board. She had relieved starter Waugh in the sixth. The umpires deemed it unsafe to start another inning after that, ending the game in a tie.

Waugh had three hits and Christie Thompson two in the game as CSU posted eight hits as a team.

The Cougars, now 9-12-1, were to open Peach Belt Conference play at Francis Marion on Wednesday.