Koalas Split with Point to Open AAC Play

Columbia, SC (2-25-22) – After dropping the opening game of its doubleheader with Point, 3-4, the Columbia College (SC) won game two 4-3 to secure the split in its 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opener.

The Koalas (11-5, 1-1 AAC) will be back in action Monday, Feb. 28, when they travel to Waleska, Ga. to face Reinhardt in an AAC doubleheader.

In the opening game, Point (8-6, 1-1) scored two runs in the top of the second to take the early 2-0 lead. The Skyhawks, who held Columbia College scoreless over the first five innings, added one run in the top of the fourth for the 3-0 lead.

The Koalas bats came to life at the bottom of the sixth. Alyssa Diaz led off the inning with a single to centerfield. With two outs and a runner on second, Madison Hearn reached off an error by Point's third baseman that scored Diaz for the Koalas first run of the game. 

Madison Lee hit a kept the offense going with a single to right field. Kylie Smith then hit a two-RBI double to leftfield to score Hearn and Lee which knotted the game at 3-all.

Point used a late-game error to score the winning run in the top of the seventh inning.                                                    

The Koalas totaled eight hits in the opening game led by Lee and Diaz with two each.

The Skyhawks also had eight hits in game one.

Mary Burnham was the winner of game one, while Meghan Dennis, who tossed one inning in relief, was the losing pitcher of record.

Game two of the doubleheader also went down to the wire. Kylie Smith hit a sacrifice fly to right field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh scoring Kristin Wemes for the winning run. 

Point opened the scoring of game two, putting up one run in the top of the first. 

The Koalas evened the score in the bottom of the third, but the Skyhawks put up two runs in the top of the fourth to regain the lead, 3-1.

After neither team scored in the fifth and sixth inning, the Koalas bats once again came to life. Jordan Kennedy led off the inning with a single, and Kiley Bridgmon drew a one out walk to place two runners on the pads with one out. Wemes then reached via an error by the Skyhawks shortstop to load the bases.

Diaz singled to right field to score two runs, setting up Smith's game-winner.

Smith and Diaz each finished with two hits and two RBIs each. Kinsley Goza scored two runs in the contest.

Elizabeth Stroud pitched a complete game to pick up the win. Zada Smith, who came in to pitch 1.1 innings, was the losing pitcher of record.