COLUMBUS, Ga. ------ The Auburn Montgomery softball team swept the opening day of the Columbus State University Classic defeating host Columbus State 10-1, before defeating Coker College 6-3 in eight innings in the nightcap Friday night.

NOTES
• The Warhawks improved to 12-7 on the year.
• The Cougars fell to 9-9-1 on the season.
• The Cobras fell to 15-4 on the year.
• Freshman Chanel Newcomer hurled six innings of scoreless relief against Coker to pick up her second career win, and has not allowed an earned run in her last three outings.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Sophomore Kaylin Finch tallied her third home run of the season in game one, and finished with five RBIs. She added a hit and a run scored in the second game.
• Freshman Abby Krueger finished the day with three hits, four runs scored, two RBIs and a double.
• Junior Kalee Sparks added four runs scored and an RBI during the doubleheader.
• Freshman Kendall Tucker picked up her first career home run in the first game, and added a hit in the second game.
• Junior Amy Persinger added an RBI in game one, and provided the go-ahead two RBI double in game two.
• Senior Rachel Ragland improved to 6-3 on the year allowing just one earned run on three strikeouts in game one. Newcomer made her seventh appearance of the year in game two, and allowed just five hits over her six innings of relief with two strikeouts and no runs allowed to earn her second career victory.
• Fagioli led the way for Columbus State with a double and the team's only RBI. Price led the way for Coker finishing a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run.

GAME 1 HOW IT HAPPENED
• After a scoreless first and second inning, AUM got on the board first in the top of the third inning. Tucker broke up the no-hit bid on her first career blast to deep left field over the hitting facility to give the Warhawks a 1-0 lead.  
• AUM added an additional two runs in the top of the fourth on a Finch fielder's choice that plated Sparks, and a Persinger bunt that plated Krueger.
• AUM added four additional runs on a hit and two errors in the top of the fifth. Walker scored on a throwing error, before a Finch three-run bomb gave the Warhawks a 7-0 lead after five.
• After a scoreless sixth, AUM tallied its final three runs of the game on three hits and two errors in the top of the seventh. Sparks and Schmidt scored on a Krueger double down the left field line, and a Finch single plated Krueger to give the Warhawks a 10-0 lead heading to the final frame.
• Columbus State picked up its only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh. A Fagioli double to left plated Beyer to make the score 10-1. Walker made a diving catch in right field from Star to end the game, and give the Warhawks the 10-1 victory.

GAME 2 HOW IT HAPPENED
• AUM scored two runs on a hit and an error in the top of the first. Pinholster led off the inning being hit by a pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a Walker single and finally stole home. Sparks followed with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Walker.
• Coker responded in the bottom of the second on a double from High that plated Morris, after a Price solo homer to left to tie the score at two.
• Coker took the lead in the bottom of the third on three hits. A Williamson sacrifice fly to left scored Simmons to give the Cobras the 3-2 advantage.   
• Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth, but AUM tied the game in the top of the fifth. A Hendrix single to center, followed by an error, allowed Sparks to come home to tie the game at 3.
•In the bottom of the sixth, Coker had two runners on with no outs. However, a pop up to the catcher led to a triple play to end the inning.
• Coker threatened the walk-off in the bottom of the seventh, after an error loaded the bases with two outs. However, Newcomer struck out Williamson to send the game into extras.   
• With the international tie-break rule in place, Krueger started the inning on second. A Finch single, set up a Persinger double down the left field line to give the Warhawks a 5-3 advantage. Schmidt picked up her sole RBI of the game after a single from Newcomer to plate Persinger, which extended the lead to 6-3.
• Newcomer sealed the door shut in the bottom of the eighth allowing no hits to give the Warhawks the 6-3 victory over Coker, and a double header sweep on the opening day of the CSU Classic.

UP NEXT
• The Warhawks will return to action on Saturday, March 34, where they will wrap up play in the CSU Classic matching up against Barry University at 10 a.m., and Catawba College at 12 p.m..

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