CSU Raps Out 21 Hits in Double Header Sweep of Tusculum on Sunday
Greeneville, Tenn. -- Columbus State stepped out of the Peach Belt Conference on Sunday and came away with a pair of road wins at Tusculum on Sunday, defeating the Pioneers 6-3 in game one and 8-3 in the nightcap. CSU is now 21-26-1 on the season with two games remaining at Lander on Tuesday.
Britni McCall and Kristi Bullard combined to toss a three-hitter in the opener on Sunday. McCall went the first four innings and allowed two hits and three unearned runs. She struck out three and walked one. Kristi Bullard finished the final three innings and allowed just one hit with two walks.
CSU got on the board first in the third inning as Carrie Jones drove in Brittany Leverett with a single for a 1-0 lead. Tusculum answered immediately in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on two hits and an error. All three runs scored after Leverett's two-out error, making all the runs unearned.
The Cougars then re-took the lead and control of the game with a four-run fourth inning. Melanie Trevathan smacked a pinch-hit single with the bases loaded for the first run, followed by a sacrifice fly by Leverett to score another. Christie Thompson then delivered a two-run single to put CSU up 5-3.
Kori Waugh's RBI single in the seventh to score Carrie Jones accounted for the final run.
Jones led the 9-hit CSU attack with three hits, while Thompson added a pair of hits and two RBI.
In the nightcap, CSU got on the board quickly, scoring three times in the first inning. Rocky Hemmer and Keeley Kennedy each had RBI singles and Lauren Reader walked with the bases loaded to give the Cougars the 3-0 lead.
The Cougars added a pair of runs in the fourth on Leverett's 16th homer of the season, adding to her all-time single-season school record.
After Tusculum plated a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to make it 5-3, CSU got three insurance runs in the seventh to put the game on ice. Reader singled home a run and Morgan Staffins produced a two-out, two-run, pinch-hit double to make it 8-3.
Kelsey Gilliam went four innings to earn the win, allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts. Courtney Darr and Jennifer Isasi finished up for the Cougars.
Leverett and Hemmer each had three hits to lead a 12-hit CSU attack. Leverett, Reader, and Staffins each had two RBI.
CSU is still alive for a spot in the upcoming PBC Tournament, but will need a sweep of Lander on Tuesday and some help from top-ranked North Georgia as they take on the Bearcats later this week.
