February 21, 2011
Columbus State Softball Sweeps Doubleheader from Albany State
COLUMBUS – The Columbus State softball team took a pair of games from Albany State Monday afternoon in a non-conference matchup at Lady Rams Park. CSU won game one 9-4 and later bested the Lady Rams 14-4 in game two. The Lady Cougars improved to 11-3 on the season while ASU remains winless at 0-10.
Game One:
Albany State scored first in the contest as Vanessa Jones singled up the middle to bring in Dominique Bryant for an early 1-0 ASU lead.
The Lady Cougars responded back in the top half of the second inning to go ahead 3-1. Back-to-back one-out singles by Kori Waugh and Rocky Hemmer put runners on first and second. After a flyout, Lauren Reader singled down the rightfield line to knot the game at one. Two more runs crossed the plate when Courtney Darr reached on an error by Albany's first baseman.
ASU answered in the third inning to re-take the lead as a result of some defensive miscues by CSU. Chaconna Marks, Shandria Usher and Elena Litvina all had run producing hits in the frame as the Lady Rams led 4-3 after three innings of action.
Hemmer kept the Albany State lead short lived as she began the top half of the fourth inning with a homerun to left field and Kara Gordon hit a solo homerun in the fifth inning to give Columbus State a 5-4 edge through five innings.
CSU put the game away in the sixth inning posting four runs to close out the scoring in the ballgame. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Reader delivered her second RBI of the game with a single through the left side. Morgan Knight blasted a three-run homerun later in the inning, her third of the season.
Darr (1-0) picked up the win in relief tossing four shutout innings while surrendering jut two hits. Kelsey Gilliam started the contest giving up four runs (two earned) in three innings of work.
Game 2:
Columbus State wasted no time getting on the scoreboard scoring four times in the first inning which began with a Knight single to rightfield. She moved up to third base after a wild pitch and a passed ball then she scored on a fielder's choice. Morgan Staffins singled to rightfield driving in a run and the final two runs crossed via an ASU error.
Albany State cut the deficit to three when Chaconna Marks hit a homerun to centerfield making it a 4-1 contest.
Just like in game one, CSU had a big inning to seize control of the game, this time putting up nine runs in the fourth inning. The first three hitters reached safely before Knight drove in Kristen Gregory with a single up the middle. A walk to Branigan Wix, a fielder's choice and a wild pitch brought in the next three runs for the Lady Cougars. A walk to Waugh loaded the bases again. Consecutive walks allowed two more runs to come across before a sacrifice fly and a single closed out the nine run outburst.
Columbus State scored their final run of the game via a bases loaded walk to Melanie Trevathan.
Erin Tyson pitched a complete game for CSU allowing four runs (three earned) in five innings. She allowed seven hits but did not issue a walk in the contest. The lefty upped her mark to 2-1 on the season.
