Softball Combines with Bryan for 48 Runs to Split Twinbill

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Columbia College softball team scored a combined 22 runs offensively as they split their conference doubleheader with Bryan College (TN) at home on Wednesday evening.

Columbia poured on the runs in game one scoring in every inning en route to a 14-9 win. However, Bryan found their bats in game two and went on to win 17-8.

GAME 1: CC 14, BC 9

The Koalas tallied 13 hits in game one while scoring 5 runs apiece in each of the 4th and 5th innings and adding one run each in all the others. Bryan led 3-1 before sophomore OF Brooke Farrell's RBI double made it 3-2 in the 2nd inning. Catcher Reagan Kelly's RBI double in the 3rd tied the game at 3 before 3B Elaina Seymour scored on an error in the 4th. Freshman 2B Maggie Hinz's RBI single in the 4th made it 5-3 which led to senior 1B Aliyah Crawley's three-run homer to put CC up 8-3 after four innings.

Bryan would try to tally in the 5th inning getting three runs to claw within 8-6, but Columbia would then pile on more runs in the 5th on 4 RBI singles and a wild pitch. Farrell's single made it 9-6 before Hinz and Crawley's back-to-back RBI hits put CC up 11-6. Junior DH Ally Boyd's RBI knock then made it 13-6 after five innings. Bryan would add two runs in the 6th before yet another RBI single from Farrell in the 6th drove in OF Lana Hampson with the 14th run.  

Hinz and Farrell helped lead the offense as they combined for 7 hits with Hinz going 4 for 4 with 3 runs scored and Farrell 3 for 3 with 3 RBI. Crawley also drove in 5 runs on her two hits as she is now hitting .366 with 2 home runs and 21 RBI.

Senior starting pitcher Addison Warner (7-5) picked up the win throwing 4 and 2/3 innings allowing 5 earned runs on 6 hits while walking four and striking out three. Junior reliever Kynsly Gehling finished out the game on 2 and 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs on a hit and 2 walks.

GAME 2: BC 17, CC 8 

The second game of the marathon doubleheader saw Columbia jump out to a 3-1 lead after one inning scoring on a Boyd sacrifice fly and back-to-back RBI doubles from Kelly and freshman OF Madison Cheek. However, BC took advantage of some Koala errors inthe 2nd inning to jump out to a 6-3 lead scoring on two RBI singles, a sac fly and an error. Boyd's RBI single trimmed the deficit to two at 6-4 after two innings before Bryan then added to their lead making it 9-4 in the third after another CC error. The Lions then piled on six more runs in the 6th inning to put the game out of reach at 15-4. 

Columbia would score four more in the bottom half to continue the game getting to within 15-8 on two bases-loaded HBPs, a wild pitch and another Kelly RBI single. Boyd was saddled ith the loss dropping to 6-7 allowing 9 runs, but only two earned, on 5 hits while walking two and striking out three over 2.1 innings. Relievers Paige Branham and Amanda Lohrey combined to finish the game throwing 4 and 2/3 innings allowing 6 earned runs on 10 hits with 2 walks and a Branham strikeout.

Wolff and Kelly led the offense with three hits apiece as Wolff scored three runs while Crawley added two more hits. Boyd and Kelly also drove in five runs as well. 

The Koalas go to 13-15 on the year and 8-6 in the AAC while Bryan improves to 15-5 overall and 9-3 in conference.

Columbia will next head out on the road to battle Johnson Univ. on Saturday at 1:00 pm in Tennessee before turning around to face Union College in Kentucky on Sunday at Noon.