Softball Pitches Well but Can't Get Offense Going in losses to CIU

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Columbia College softball team could not get their offense untracked in dropping two tough games to crosstown rival Columbia International (CIU) on Tuesday afternoon. CIU shut out the Koalas 4-0 in game one before rallying to upend CC 3-1 in game two.

G1: CIU 4, CC 0

Senior starting pitcher Addison Warner (9-9) suffered the loss throwing five innings allowing four hits and 4 earned runs while walking four and striking out four. Senior reliever Kynsly Gehling finished out the game tossing two scoreless innings allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out one. Warner now has 93 strikeouts on the season. She will look to get 100 on Thursday at home at 4 PM.

CIU got on the board early with a two-run first inning homer before adding their 3rd run in the 5th and their 4th run in the 6th on an RBI groundout. Koala infielders Aliyah Crawley and freshman Elaina Seymour led the offense as they each tallied two hits apiece while Seymour had the lone extra-base hit knocking a double in the 4th inning to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs. However, a Madison Cheek lineout to center would end the inning.

Outfielder Brooke Farrell also recorded a single while pinch-runner Hailie Lebiedz stole two bases. Crawley, a senior, is now hitting .369 on the season with 45 hits and 25 runs scored.

G2: CIU 3, CC 1

Junior starting pitcher Ally Boyd (7-12) was saddled with the loss as she threw 5 and 2/3 innings allowing all three runs in the 6th. She also gave up 7 hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Junior reliever Bailey Strickland then finished the game holding CIU scoreless over the final 1 and 1/3 innings. 

CC managed to record just two hits in the second game. They scored their lone run in the 2nd inning on a Farrell RBI single that scored Crawley, who had reached via hit by pitch. Crawley registered the other hit for the Koalas on a single. 

Columbia falls to 16-26 overall with the tough-luck losses and 11-15 in the conference to drop into 10th place while CIU improves to 19-21 and 12-12 in the league and jumps into 8th place. The top 10 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament.

The Koalas will next face off with struggling St. Andrews University on Thursday at home at 4 p.m. to complete their final AAC games needing two wins to clinch their bid to the conference tournament at the end of the month.