March 18, 2012
Offensive Explosion Lifts No. 25 to 13-2 Win Over USC Aiken
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Aiken, SC – After only picking two hits in the first game, No. 25 Columbus State exploded for 11 runs in the final three innings as they took down USC Aiken 13-2 in game two of the doubleheader Sunday afternoon. The contest was played at Satcher Field in Aiken, South Carolina.
The Lady Cougars got on the board right away as Casey Googe smacked her PBC leading 12th homerun of the season over the leftfield wall.
CSU then tacked on another run in the third which began with a Nina Rubio walk. Two straight outs brought up Kara Gordon who delivered a big two-out single to leftfield plating Rubio. It almost turned into a huge inning for the Lady Cougars as Morgan Staffins and Kori Waugh drew back-to-back walks loading the bases. Unfortunately, a strikeout ended the threat.
USCA tied the game up in the bottom half of the inning as they received a RBI single by Whitney Clary and a sacrifice fly from Lindsey Jones knotting the ballgame at 2-2.
Morgan Knight quickly gave Columbus State the lead right back in the fourth as she launched a three-run blast to leftfield. It was her eighth homerun of the season, tied for the second most in the league. Kaycee Meeks and Branigan Wix scored on the homerun as they doubled and singled, respectively, earlier in the frame.
In the fifth, Branigan Wix singled to the shortstop allowing Kori Waugh to score on the play pushing the CSU lead to 6-2. Next up was Nina Rubio who singled to left putting runners on first and second. Knight then drove in her fourth run of the contest with a single to centerfield. Rubio also crossed home on an errant throw making it a 8-2 ballgame.
Columbus State put the game away in the sixth inning scoring five runs while picking up just three hits. A walk, single and walk loaded the bases to start the frame. After a groundout forced out the runner at the plate, Meeks walked forcing in a run. The second run came via a fielding error which kept the bases loaded. Pinch-hitter Brooke Nail then delivered a two-run single into right-centerfield. Googe capped off the inning with a two-run double to left-centerfield.
Taylor Turner (4-2) earned the victory working the final 3.1 innings allowing just one hit. Nine different batters picked up a hit for CSU. Kelsey Gilliam started the contest giving up two runs on three hits over 2.2 innings of action. Morgan Knight was 3-for-5 with four RBIs and a run scored while Casey Googe was also 3-for-5 driving in two and scoring once.
Samantha Lemm fell to 1-2 on the year giving up nine runs (seven earned) on 15 hits and four walks. No Pacer had more than a single hit in the contest.
The Lady Cougars return to the diamond on Wednesday, March 21 when they travel to Young Harris. It will be the last time these two face off in non-conference action as YH will join the Peach Belt Conference next year. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
