[Softball] Falcons tripped up vs. No. 18 Columbia in NAIA Opening Round game; will play ...
Henderson, Tenn. – In the winner's bracket game today (May 17) at the NAIA Opening Round in the Henderson Bracket, the Friends University Falcons lost 5-0 to the No. 18-ranked Columbia College Cougars and were limited to just two hits in a complete game shutout performance by pitcher Ella Schouten.
The Cougars took an early lead on an RBI double by Emily King in the first inning.
A two-run homer by Abigail Pringer finished a three-run fourth inning for the Cougars and a solo homer from Athena Wheeler in the fifth put a cap on the win and sent the Cougars into tomorrow's bracket championship game.
Meghan Low (SR/Collinsville, Okla.) and Laila Spracklen (JR/San Diego, Calif. ) each had a hit for the Falcons, while King and Schouten had two hits apiece for the Cougars.
Schouten finished with nine strikeouts and walked two over seven innings for the Cougars.
Isabelle Schwien (SO/Denver, Colo. ) started for the Falcons and allowed four earned runs in 3.1 frames before Spracklen came on and gave up a run with four strikeouts in the final 2.2 innings.
This is just the Falcons' fourth setback in their last 22 outings, while the Cougars have now won 25 straight games.
The Falcons will next play an elimination game vs. the winner of top-seeded Freed-Hardeman University and second-seeded Madonna University later today at 5 pm. A win would push the Falcons into the championship game tomorrow (May 18) and require two wins over Columbia to advance to the NAIA World Series.