Columbia Sweeps Truett McConnell Behind Walker and Shearin

The Columbia College Fighting Koalas picked up a conference double header sweeper with two exciting wins against the visiting Truett-McConnell Lady Bears on Wednesday afternoon.

In game one, Erin Walker was her reliable self, allowing only six hits and one walk while striking out eight. Her usual offensive support was absent, however, as Harlee Grogan was also pitching a quality game for the Lady Bears. Columbia managed just two hits in regular innings, before the game was forced to extras.

In the bottom of the 9th, with runners on second and third, Bre Shearin stepped up to power a long home run over the left field wall to end the game with the Koalas winning 3-0.

The second game was a slightly different affair, as Columbia and Truett both went with the true meaning of pitching staff. Columbia started Brittany Barr, and moved to Lindsey Knipp, Hailey Grimoskas, and Erin Walker all before the game was over.

Shearin was again the hero at the plate, hitting two towering home runs throughout the game, the first to give Columbia a 1-0 lead in the first inning, and the second to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth inning, just after Kelsey Pruitt had also homered.

With the game poised for dramatics in the bottom of the seventh, Ashley Cox stepped up to the plate with runners on 2nd and 3rd. On a 2-1 count, Cox singled to center to score Pruitt, and Columbia took home the win, 5-4.

In the second game, Pruitt was 2-3 with an RBI and a walk, Shearin was 2-3 with 2 RBIs and a walk, and Grimoskas was 2-2 with a walk.

Columbia returns to action on Saturday at Reinhardt University with a doubleheader beginning at 2 PM.