Thursday, April 6, 2006

EIGHTH-RANKED COLUMBUS STATE SPILTS PAIR OF GAMES WITH NORTH GEORGIA

Columbus,Ga. - Eighth-ranked Columbus State pushed across three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning of game one on Wednesday with North Georgia to take a 5-3 win. The visitors used timely hitting to recover from a 5-0 deficit and forge a split of the Peach Belt Conference double header. CSU moves to 28-11 overall and 13-3 in PBC play, while North Georgia returns home at 20-14, 6-10.

Trailing 3-2 entering the sixth inning of game one, the Lady Cougars rallied to take the lead. After Tamela Bell reached first on a third strike wild pitch and was moved to second by an Amber Lanier sacrifice, Carrie Mills fanned for the second out. Randi Rainwater followed with a clutch, two-out single to score Bell and tie the game. Stasha Morton added an infield single to set the stage for leadoff hitter Erin Brown's two-run double to left field to give CSU a 5-3 lead.

Morton made the lead stand in the seventh allowing just an infield single. She earned her 16th win of the year with the victory, allowing six hits and one earned run with six strikeouts.

North Georgia had taken a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth and a single run in the sixth. The Saints took advantage of a pair of CSU errors to push across the two runs in the fifth. Brittany Cobb and Brooke Kesler scored on a throwing error by Danielle Aszman to tie the game. Lynsey Thompson smacked a solo home run to center field to lead off the fifth and give the Saints a 3-2 lead. CSU had taken a 2-0 lead in the fourth on a Jenny Baaske two-run home run.

Rachel Bridges took the loss, allowing six hits with six strikeouts. Brown and Rainwater collected two hits each for CSU.

In the nightcap, CSU erupted for five first-inning runs. Allison Paul, Bell, and Rainwater each had RBI singles, while Lanier delivered the big blow in the frame, a two-run double.

The Saints answered by scoring in each of the next five innings to take the lead. Lara Seamon had an RBI double in the second, followed in the third by Meigan Grimm's RBI single. The Saints then erupted for three runs in the fourth, highlighted by an RBI triple with two outs by Candace Shubert and Thompson's second big fly of the day – a two run shot to right-center to tie the game.

After CSU took a 6-5 lead on an error and a Baaske RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, NGC took the lead for good in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs. Cobb delivered a two-out, two-run triple to right field to give the Saints a 7-6 lead. Brittany Barnes gave her team some insurance in the sixth with a two-out solo home run to make it 8-6.

CSU threatened in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, but Lanier's drive to right was not deep enough and ended the inning.

Dana Lowery settled down after the first inning and did not allow another earned run, allowing just one hit the rest of the way. She walked two and fanned one in earning the win. Rainwater started for CSU but was pulled after being called for three-straight illegal pitches in the second inning and four in just over an inning of work. Morton came on and suffered the loss, allowing 10 hits and six earned runs in three innings. Paul finished up for CSU, going three innings and allowing two hits and one earned run.

Lanier led CSU at the plate, going 3-4 with a pair of RBI. Baaske added two hits for the Lady Cougars. Grimm led NGC with three hits, while Thompson, Barnes, and Seamon each collected two hits.

North Georgia returns home to host Francis Marion in a PBC double-header showdown on Saturday at 1PM. CSU will host Albany State on Friday at 5 PM in a non-conference double header.

Box Score, Game 1

Box Score, Game 2

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