Koala Softball Drops Home DH to Montreat

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Columbia College softball team fell in both ends of their conference doubleheader against Montreat College on Tuesday evening. Columbia's rally fell short in game one going down 11-4 while MC pulled away late in game two to win 8-2.

In game one, the teams traded two runs apiece over the first two innings as junior SS Ashlynn Wolff led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run while a three-base error by MC in the second on Lana Hampson's hit saw Joni Littlejohn, who had walked, come around to score to tie the game at two. Wolff's home run was her 2nd of the season as she leads the team in average at .392 and runs scored with 39.

Montreat then added five runs in the 5th inning off Koala senior starting pitcher Ally Boyd to take a 7-2 lead. Columbia rallied with two runs in the 6th on catcher Reagan Kelly's two-run single that scored senior LF Brooke Farrell and freshman 1B Ashlyn Blackstone, who had each singled, to get to within 7-4. However, that would be as close as they would get with the Cavaliers essentially putting the game out of reach in the 7th inning with four runs to take an 11-4 lead.

Boyd (2-10) threw four-plus innings allowing 7 runs (just 4 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks while sophomore Madison Cheek came on in relief in the 5th and went 2 and 2/3 innings permitting four runs on 6 hits while striking out two.

In game two, the Lady Koalas got out to a 2-1 lead after three innings scoring in the second on Hampson's RBI single and in the third on Boyd's sacrifice fly. Farrell and Wolff each scored the runs respectively. Montreat then tied the game in the fourth before taking a 5-2 lead after five innings. They then tacked on three more runs in the 7th off Vaughn.

Junior pitcher Maddie Vaughn (8-8) lasted 6 and 1/3 innings allowing 8 runs (7 earned) on 7 hits while walking seven and striking out four while senior reliever Amanda Lohrey finished out the game scoreless in 2/3 of the inning.

Offensively, senior outfielder Lana Hampson led the way with two hits and a walk as she reached base three times while Wolff, CF Krislyn Wilder, Farrell, and Cheek also recorded singles.

Columbia fell to 18-22 overall and 6-16 in the conference while MC improved to 15-21 ovcerall and 7-15 in the AAC.

The Koalas will remain home to host their final doubleheader at the Sutton Complex when they play host to Johnson University on Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm.