COLUMBIA, S.C. – Paced by newcomers Bailey Smith and Molly Child’s efforts at the late, the Anderson softball team rallied to sweep Columbia College, 9-8 and 5-2 in a nonconference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Sutton Softball Stadium.
Anderson improved to 7-1 on the season, while Columbia College, members of the NAIA’s Appalachian Athletic Conference, fell to 0-2.
Game #1
Anderson 9, Columbia 8
Smith was 2-for-3 at the plate, including a three-RBI double in the fifth inning, while sophomore Bri Cason recorded a bases-loaded triple in the seventh to drive in the winning run. Junior shortstop Abby Child was 1-for-2 with a solo home run in the third inning and Laura Jansky notched a single in three trips to the plate, while scoring twice.
Lauren Bell struck out two Fighting Koalas and earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief.
After the Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on Abby Child’s third-inning homer, Columbia answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the fourth inning to take a brief 2-1 edge.
But AU countered with five runs in the fifth frame behind Smith’s three-RBI double to right field with one out that plated Danielle Swygert, Jansky and Charlotte Sieber. The Fighting Koalas gained an 8-6 lead on the strength of two runs in the fifth inning and four in the bottom of the sixth.
Trailing by two heading into their final at-bat, the Trojans rallied for three runs with two outs. Jansky led off with a single and Sieber followed with a walk. With one out, Rachel Rhodes reached on an error to load the bases and Cason followed with her bases-clearing triple to right field to put AU on top, 9-8.
Bell retired Columbia in order in the bottom of the frame to collect the win.
Game #2
Anderson 5, Columbia 2
Molly Child was 3-for-4 at the plate, with a two-run homer and a pair of singles and drove in three runs, while Jansky blasted a solo round-tripper in the decisive fifth inning. Junior Sarah Schmitz added an RBI in the seventh with a double to right field, with Abby Child and Danielle Swygert each posting singles.
Bell (5-0) scattered six hits and surrendered two earned runs, while striking out five Fighting Koalas and did not walk a batter en route to her fourth complete game of the season.
Columbia snapped a scoreless contest with a run in the fourth inning, but AU answered with three in the fifth and a run in the sixth to take a 4-1 advantage. Molly Child blasted a two-run homer and Jansky followed two outs later with a home run that fueled the fifth-inning rally.
A pair of walks and a single by Molly Child led to the sixth-inning score. Each team scored a run in the final inning to set the final margin.
Anderson plays host to North Greenville at Smethers Field on Thursday. First-pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.