Koala Softball Sweeps St. Andrews

LAURINBURG, N.C. - The Columbia College softball team rolled to a AAC sweep of rival St. Andrews University on the road Friday afternoon holding on to win game one 7-5 before cruising in game two, 9-0.

The Koalas improve to 21-17 overall and 13-9 in the AAC with their 7th win in their past 8 games and will now return home to host Union College (KY) on Sunday on Senior Day in a Noon doubleheader.

Senior pitcher Kylie Smith threw all five shutout innings in the game two win allowing just 3 hits while walking none and striking out one. She also went 3 for 3 at the plate with two runs scored and 3 singles. She improves to 9-8 on the season with a 2.92 ERA while continuing to hit at a team-best .385 clip with 42 hits.

The Koalas scored five of their runs via errors by SAU while scoring another on a wild pitch, two runs on an RBI double from soph 1B Aliyah Crawley in the 5th and another on 3B Aislyn Sharp's RBI triple in the 5th.

Columbia led 3-0 in the second after scoring all 3 runs on Crawley's little-league inside-the-park home run with the help of an error that brought home Smith and SS Skyler Monson, who had singled. Outfielder Ruthie Roman then drove in another run on an error in the 4th before Sharp's triple in the 5th scored MC Sanders, who had singled and moved to third on an error. Sharp would then score on a WP to go up 6-0.

With the bases clear and only one out, outfielder Hope Azurdia came up and started another rally with her base hit and stolen base. Smith's single then put runners on the corners before Monson's batted ball to third brought home Azurdia. Finally, Crawley's double drove home the final two runs for the 9-0 triumph. Seven different Koalas recorded hits while eight scored runs on the day.

Game one saw the Koalas jump out to a 6-0 lead in the 5th inning before taking a 7-2 advantage into the final frame. Senior catcher Katie Poole got CC on the board first with a two-run homer in the 3rd inning before Smith's RBI double in the 5th made it 3-0. Monson's two-run single followed to put CC up 5-0 before a bases-loaded walk to Brooklyn Franco made it 6-0.

SAU got two runs back in the 5th off senior starter Meghan Dennis before Monson's second RBI single made it 7-2 Koalas after six innings. Dennis (8-6) lasted five innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with a walk and 2 strikeouts. St. Andrews then rallied in the 7th scoring three runs off Koala reliever Bailey Strickland to get within 7-5 and have the tying runs on 2nd and 3rd before fellow reliever Kynsly Gehling got the final two outs for her first save.

Azurdia, Smith and Monson all led the Koalas with 2 hits apiece while Monson drove in 3 runs.