Koala Softball drop DH at First Place Johnson

KNOXVILLE, TN - The Columbia College softball team dropped their doubleheader on the road at first place Johnson University (TN) on Saturday afternoon going down 10-3 in game one and 9-4 in game two.

GAME 1: JU 10, CC 3

Johnson had an early 2-0 lead before scoring 5 runs in the 4th to take a commanding 7-0 lead. The Koalas tried to rally scoring three runs over the next two innings to get within 7-3, but JU put the game out of reach with a three-run 6th to clinch the win. 

Junior starting pitcher Ally Boyd (6-8) threw 3 and 1/3 innings allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out two. Reliever Kynsly Gehling replaced Boyd in the 4th and went on to throw 2 and 1/3 innings allowing three earned runs on five hits and striking out two as well.

Offensively, freshman 2B Maggie Hinz led with two hits while outfielder Brooke Farrell added an RBI single. Freshman catcher Reagan Kelly and fellow freshman Elaina Seymour also drove in runs for CC. Freshman OF Madison Cheek also recorded a hit, a stolen base, and scored a run while senior 1B Aliyah Crawley recorded a hit, a walk and scored a run as well.

GAME 2: JU 9, CC 4

The Royals posted another five-run third inning in game two racing out to another 7-0 lead through 4 innings. The Koalas then rallied for three runs in the 5th to get within 7-3 before JU added two more on solo homers in the bottom half. Hinz then added an RBI single in the 6th to score Cheek, who had reached base via double.

Crawley, hitting a team-best .375, also recorded two doubles while Hinz added two more hits as well. Boyd, the DH, and shortstop Sophia Caley also added run-scoring groundouts. Hinz has also increased her average over 100 points over the past week with her five-game hitting streak recording 12 hits in 18 at bats to now hit .309 on the season. Infielders Ashlynn Wolff and Seymour added hits as well as Boyd.

In the circle, senior pitcher Addison Warner (7-6) allowed six runs on five hits with a walk and strikeout over 2 and 1/3 innings while reliever Amanda Lohrey gave up three runs on five hits over an inning plus. Senior reliever Paige Branham then finished out the game throwing two scoreless innings allowing only three hits.

The Koalas fall to 13-17 overall and 8-8 in the AAC while first place Johnson remains undefeated at 8-0 in the AAC and 13-4 overall.

Columbia gets right back into action on Sunday afternoon when they head north to Kentucky to battle Union Commonwealth in a 12 Noon doubleheader.