AU softball swept by Columbus State
By Joshua Picklesimer | Sports writer
Augusta University’s softball team dropped three straight to Columbus State over the weekend (March 18-19) to continue a seven-game skid and fell to 0-12 in conference play.
The visiting Cougars (7-2, 18-9) won the three games by scores of 3-0, 12-4 and 10-5.
AU pitcher Ansley Gibson started Saturday’s game off well, going four scoreless innings and pitching out of trouble in the third inning with runners on first and second base.
In the top of the fifth inning, Bailee Roberts had an acrobatic throw to first to get the runner out. The throw saved AU (13-17 overall) from being down two, because Columbus State’s Caitlyn Canady then hit a homer to center field to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
The fifth inning is where Gibson started to struggle. She walked back-to-back batters. She got one more out but walked another batter with the base loaded to make the score 2-0 Columbus State.
Lauren Evens was brought in for relief for Gibson. Evens walked the next batter home, making the score 3-0 in favor of Columbus State. Lauren Barrett for Augusta made a diving catch in right field, easily saving another few runs to end the inning.
The Jaguars were held to four hits by Hannah Rose Corbin, who struck out 10.
In the first game of the Sunday doubleheader, things started off well for the Jaguars as Paige Patterson homered.
But, in second inning, Columbus State scored eight runs to open a big lead.
Patterson added another run with an RBI single too give AU another run, an error scored another run and Roberts hit a solo homer.
Hayden Pearson started the game and was responsible for two runs. Hannah Turner and Maggie McBrayer also pitched in game 2.
In the finale, the Jaguars put up a fight early before eventually losing 10-5.
Alissa Bolinger pitched the first four innings for AU, striking out five batters and giving up five hits. Gibson then came in to pitch the final three innings after pitching 4 and two-thirds innings in the series opener.
The Jaguars’ Evens hit a homer in the second to tie the game early.
Columbus State then pulled ahead in the third again with two more runs. Augusta then tied it up in the fourth inning after Bobbi Poff’s RBI double, and Lauren Slade stole home to make the score 4-4.
Columbus State, who scored one in the fifth, put the game away in the sixth inning when the Cougars scored five runs.
The Jaguars will play at USC Beaufort (8-21) on Friday, March 24, with a doubleheader scheduled for the next day.
Contact Joshua Picklesimer at jpicklesimer@augusta.edu.
Lauren Barrett drives the ball for the Jaguars. At the top of the page, Ansley Gibson was in command for four innings in the opener. (photos by Madison Keel)
Sophomore shortstop Bobbi Poff gets a double for the Jaguars in their 10-5 loss in the series finale. (photo by Madison Keel)
