Softball goes 6-0 in record week for program

The Columbia College Softball team had a record setting week going 6-0 and defeating the 1st place conference team in a doubleheader sweep, both firsts in the programs history.

Coming off a slightly disappointing road trip to Tennessee, the Koalas more than made up for the previous weekend with a week to remember.

They first traveled to 1st place Milligan College on Wednesday April 9th, and blanked the Lady Buffaloes 4-0 and 3-0, behind two pitching gems from Erin Walker.  Walker scattered just 13 hits over the two games, but most importantly allowed no runs to cross the plate. Offensively in game one, Kelsey Pruitt led the way, going 2-3 with 3 RBIs, while Ashley Cox added an RBI in the 4-0 win. In game two, a 3-0 victory, Bre Shearin (2-4), Cox (1-4), and Kylie Godley (1-3) picked up the RBIs as the Koalas shutout the Lady Buffs to leave TN with a double header sweep.

Returning to action at home on April 11th against conference rival St. Andrews University, Columbia made it much more interesting and had to scrap a little for their wins. Brittany Padgett had a monster game for the Koalas, going 3-4 with 3 RBIs, while Shearin and Ortiz also nabbed runs batted in during the 6-5 victory in extra innings. Erin Walker allowed four earned runs, her only four allowed on the week, during the victory.

Game two was a little more straight forward, as Shearin again picked up two RBIs in the 3-1 win, while senior pitcher Lindsey Knipp picked up the win yielding just one earned run and 5 hits in the complete game.

Finally, on Saturday afternoon, April 12th, Columbia entertained the visiting Tennessee Temple Crusaders. A 9-4 victory in game one, pitched by senior Brittany Barr and junior Hailey Grimoskas, and a 6-1 win in game two, pitched by Knipp, Barr, and Walker, saw Columbia end the week 6-0. A highlight of game two was Hallie Jolly's first career home run, a two run shot to center field.

Columbia has one remaining doubleheader in the conference, at Union College this coming weekend, and currently sits in 5th place in the AAC.