FLORENCE, S.C. – Senior Randi Rainwater collected five hits, scored twice, and drove in three runs to help lead 23rd-ranked Columbus State University to a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader sweep of Francis Marion University, Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 21) in women's softball action.
The Lady Cougars improve to 6-4 overall and 3-1 in the PBC. FMU, perhaps showing the effects of not having played in 13 days due to four rainouts, drops to 4-2 and 0-2.
Senior right-hander Stasha Morton (4-0) tossed a seven-hitter and crushed a two-run home run in the top of the first inning as CSU won the opener 8-2. Sophomore Allison Paul limited the Patriots to four hits in the second game, while scoring three times herself, as Columbus State won 5-1.
In the opener, Francis Marion rallied from the early 2-0 deficit to tie the game at 2-2 in the third frame. Freshman Megan Pangburn drove home the first FMU run with a fielder’s choice grounder and junior Tatjana Slawson supplied the other run with a solo homer to left field.
CSU plated five runs in the fifth inning on six hits, as Amber Lanier singled home two runs and Carrie Mills and Jenny Baaske had run-scoring hits. Both Mills and Rainwater led CSU with three hits in the opener.
FMU freshman Serena Lim (2-1) took the loss. Both Slawson and left fielder Jenna Sexton had two hits in the opener.
In the second game, Patriot freshman outfielder Shannan Tyson clubbed Paul’s second pitch over the left center field fence to put FMU up 1-0. Paul would only allow three more hits the rest of the way.
Rainwater doubled home two runs in the third inning to put CSU ahead 2-1. Paul scored the Lady Cougars’ third run in the fourth on an RBI-single by Erin Brown. Rainwater and Brown accounted for the other CSU runs in the sixth with RBI singles.
Francis Marion junior righty Jessica Johnson (2-1) was tagged with the loss in game two. Tyson also doubled to finish the nightcap 2-for-3.
Rainwater, Brown, Paul, and Tamela Bell all had two hits for CSU in the second contest.
