Crawley's Walk-Off Home Run Leads Koalas to Win on Senior Day
Game 1
Game 1
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Paine College (Ga.) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 1 |
|
Columbia (SC) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Paine College (Ga.) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
|
Columbia (SC) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Columbia College softball team split their non-conference doubleheader with Paine College (Ga.) at home on a warm Senior Day Saturday afternoon from Columbia.
Senior infielder Aliyah Crawley helped the Koalas to a walk-off game two win as she smoked a three-run homer in the bottom of the 7th to hand CC the 7-5 win. She was 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs on the day. Columbia trailed 5-3 heading into the inning and plated four runs in the frame to grab the win. It was Crawley's 3rd home run of the season as she is also now second on the team in RBI with 31, third in runs with 28 and leading in average at .356 and 48 hits.
Senior pitcher Addison Warner also picked up her 100th strikeout of the seasonn during game two as she threw 4 innings allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits while walking one and striking out three. Senior reliever Bailey Strickland then came on and allowed three runs on six hits over 2 and 1/3 innings before freshman pitcher Hailie Lebiedz finished out the 2/3 of the 7th inning and eventually pick up the win.
Columbia trailed 4-0 in the 6th inning before adding three runs on Crawley's RBI single and catcher Jenna Holder's RBI walk, while freshman 3B Elaina Seymour scored on a wild pitch to get CC back in the game at 4-3. Sophomore outfielder Lana Hampson then scored on an RBI groundout in the 7th to get CC to 5-4 before Crawley's heroics. Seymour and Crawley each recorded two hits while 2B Maggie Hinz knocked a single and stole a base as well.
In game one, Freshman outfielder/3B Madison Cheek provided all the offense for the Koalas in the opener crushing two home runs while driving in three runs including hitting the game-tying two-run homer in the 7th inning that sent the game to extra innings tied at 3. However, Paine then took advantage of some Koala errors in the 8th to plate 5 unearned runs and go up 8-3. Cheek's first home run was a solo shot in the 2nd inning while catcher Taylor Perry also drove in a run in the 8th on a sacrifice fly.
Senior pitcher Paige Branham started game one and threw 4 innings allowing two runs (1 earned) on six hits with a walk and a strikeout. Senior reliever Kynsly Gehling then came on and tossed 3 and 1/3 innings allowing 5 runs (1 earned) on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Recording hits in game one were Hinz, Reagan Kelly, Holder, Hampson and pinch-hitter Addyson Tucker.
Columbia improved to 19-27 on the season while Paine fell to 12-18. The Lady Koalas will remain home to finish out their regular season on Monday by hosting SMC in a 3 pm doubleheader.