CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Columbia softball team combined for 17 runs on 21 hits on its way to a split on Saturday morning at the USF-Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Spring Invitational. The Lions fell to Army, 9-7, before bouncing back to run-rule Lafayette College, 10-2 (5).

The split improved Columbia (5-9) to 3-1 on the weekend. Sophomore third baseman Max Ortega led the offensive charge by going 5-for-7 at the plate that included her first home run of the year as part of a 4-for-4, three-run, three-RBI effort against the Black Knights. She and junior catcher Amanda Nishihira, who also homered, each drove in four runs on the day. Rookie first baseman Abby Stuart tallied three RBIs against Lafayette while Maria Pagane and Jordan Townsend each put together three-hit days.

"I thought we had a really solid day," Columbia head coach Jennifer Teague said. "I think Army is a really great team. I loved our fight offensively. We kept punching back but just came up a little bit short. However, we kept that momentum going into the second game. Putting up 17 runs in two games is a good day. Our focus is on the Ivy League season and I think we're making progress right now."

Alexa Pinarski tossed all five innings in the victory over Lafayette (2-14), allowing just two runs, only one earned, while working around six hits. She struck out three on 86 pitches and improved to 2-2 on her rookie season. Junior starter Madison Canby (3-4) was charged with the loss against Army (10-15), allowing four runs across three innings.

"I think Alexa did a great job working through some things," Teague added. "She's getting some innings in as a young freshman pitcher and I'm encouraged."

Columbia closes out the tournament Sunday morning against Quinnipiac. First pitch from Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex is scheduled for 9 a.m.

Game 1 Recap: Army 9 – Columbia 7
The Lions played from behind from the second inning on, fighting back time and time again before eventually falling to Army West Point, 9-7, in Saturday morning's front end.

Max Ortega was the highlight offensively, tallying her first collegiate four-hit game by going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs. The 2018 All-Ivy Honorable Mention clobbered a three-run homer to put the Lions on the board and cut Army's lead to 4-3 in the third.

Army jumped ahead with three runs on three hits in the second and tacked on a fourth run courtesy of a one-out RBI double by Taylor Drayton. Canby was charged with all four runs before being relieved by Erin Gallo to begin the fourth.

The two sides scored two runs apiece in the fifth inning. Both of Army's runs were unearned after a fielding error by Townsend extended the inning. However, the senior redeemed herself with a two-out RBI in the bottom half. Amanda Nishihira followed with another run-scoring hit to keep it a one-run game headed to the sixth.

Army led off the sixth with a triple on its way to three insurance runs. A two-out, two-run single to center by Drayton padded the Black Knights' lead to 9-5.

Columbia answered once more with two runs on a wild pitch and throwing error with the bases loaded in the bottom half, but that would be all for either side as Army came away with the win.

Game 2 Recap: Columbia 10 – Lafayette 2 (F/5)
Columbia's bats put together two big innings and Alexa Pinarski was solid in the circle throughout to propel the Lions to a five-inning victory over Lafayette, 10-2, in the back end of Saturday's doubleheader.

Abby Stuart and Amanda Nishihira drove in three runs apiece. Nishihira belted a three-run shot in the second while Stuart came up with run-scoring hits in both the third and fourth innings. The rookie was 2-for-2 at the dish with a sacrifice.

Eight of Columbia's nine offensive starters recorded at least one hit in the game. Maria Pagane, Max Ortega, Sommer Grzybek and Alexandra Yule all added an RBI apiece. Grzybek, Nishihira and Jordan Townsend each scored two runs.

Pinarski struck out two in the first before a passed ball in the second brought in Lafayette's first run. She worked around a one-out error to keep the Leopards off the scoreboard in the third and pitched from in front the rest of the way. A two-out RBI single in the fourth accounted for the lone earned run on her day. She stranded two on base in both the fourth and fifth innings to earn her second victory.

Yule drove in the first Columbia run of the game in the second inning by dropping a single down the right field line with Grzybek standing on second base. Townsend followed with another hit to place runners at the corners for Nishihira, who blasted a 3-2 pitch the opposite way to put the Lions up 4-1. It was the catcher's second home run of the season.

Stuart increased the lead to 5-1 with a two-out RBI double down the right field line in the third. The Lions put the game away in the fourth as the first three reached to load the bases with nobody out for Maria Pagane. The sophomore hit a fly ball deep enough to center to bring home Townsend. After Wetherill walked to reload the bases, Max Ortega found a hole in the defense with a blooper that dropped in over the head of the first baseman to up the lead to 7-2. Grzybek made it a six-run lead on Columbia's second sac fly of the inning and Stuart capped it off with a two-run single to center to bring the game to its final tally.

Stacy Gordon (0-5) pitched the entire game for Lafayette, allowing all 10 earned runs on 10 hits and two walks.