Cougars Score Late to Salvage Split at Georgia Southwestern

Americus, Ga. -- Columbus State got a couple of hits and took advantage of two Georgia Southwestern errors in the top of the seventh inning of game two on Wednesday to take a 3-1 win and salvage a split of a Peach Belt Conference softball double header. Georgia Southwestern won the opener 4-3 in nine innings.

Brittany Leverett led off with a single and Christie Thompson reached as her sacrifice bunt attempt resulted in a wild throw to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Carrie Jones then delivered a single up the middle that scored Leverett with the go-ahead run to make it 2-1. After a double play, CSU got another run as Morgan Staffins reached on an error to score Thompson and make it 3-1.

CSU had scored its only other run in the second inning on Rocky Hemmer's RBI single to score Kori Waugh. Georgia Southwestern tied the game in the third as a run scored on a wild pitch.

Kelsey Gilliam tossed a complete-game five-hitter for CSU in the nightcap. She walked two and struck out eight to take the win.

Thompson, Jones and Waugh each had a pair of hits in the game.

In the opener, the Hurricanes built a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and third innings, but CSU came back with a pair of runs in the sixth to tie the game.

Keeley Kennedy singled and Hemmer followed with a double to put runners in scoring position. Brittany Leverett plated Kennedy with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1, and Thompson reached on an outfield error a batter later to score Hemmer and tie the game.

Brittany Leverett tied the game in the top of the ninth with a leadoff solo homer, but the Hurricanes were able to push across two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the win. Gabby Buck's two-run double was the game-winner.

Kristi Bullard suffered the loss in relief of starter Britni McCall. Bullard allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in just over five innings of work.

Thompson, Kennedy and Hemmer led the offense with two hits each.

CSU returns to action at Tusculum on Sunday in a make-up of an earlier postponement. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. in Greenville, Tennessee.