CLEARWATER, Fla. — Columbia softball rallied for five runs in the sixth to complete a five-run comeback over Quinnipiac, 8-6, Sunday morning in its final game at the USF-Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Spring Invitational.
Columbia improved to 6-9 on the season and concluded the three-day tournament with a record of 4-1. The Lions swept their two games on Friday and split Saturday's doubleheader. Quinnipiac fell to 4-14.
With her team trailing, 6-3, Max Ortega began the sixth-inning rally with her second double of the game before coming around to score the first run of the inning when Sommer Grzybek dribbled a 3-2 pitch through the left side. The next four runs all came with two outs as five straight Lions reached base. Jordan Townsend made it a one-run game with an RBI single and two pitches later Amanda Nishihira got the Columbia supporters at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex on their feet, delivering a go-ahead, two-run double off the wall in left center
Maria Pagane added an insurance run with a bloop single over the head of Quinnipiac's first baseman to cap the five-run inning. Rookie right-hander Alexa Pinarski retired the Bobcats on 10 pitches in the seventh to lock down the victory.
"We had a really solid weekend. We were tested and never lost our fight or vacated our game plan," Columbia head coach Jennifer Teague said. "We kept grinding and as a coach that's what you love to see going into your conference season. This team is hungry and it's showing."
Columbia hit .356 and outscored its opponents 37-21 through the tournament. Ortega polished off a fantastic weekend by going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs. The third baseman from Highland, California went 10-for-17 (.588) at the plate across five games with four doubles, a triple, a home run, nine runs scored, seven RBIs, two stolen bases and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
"This win means a lot, especially going into Ivy League season," said Ortega, who upped her batting average to .467. "It shows that we are going to fight the entire season and it's really exciting to watch. It's awesome seeing everyone put hits together, scoring each other and doing everything unselfishly as a team. This was one of the best team efforts I've seen the entire season."
After going down 5-0 entering the bottom of the third, Ortega put the Lions on the board with a two-out, two-run double over the head of the centerfielder. She scored four pitches later when Grzybek hit a double down the right field line. Grzybek was thrown out sliding into third but ended the game 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
Pinarski (3-2) relieved starting pitcher Madison Canby to begin the fourth and picked up the win by allowing just one run on three hits over the final four frames. The Indiana native out of Lake Central High School impressed with a 2-0 record on the weekend that included a 1.70 ERA across 12.1 innings.
Kendall Brundrett (1-9) took the loss for Quinnipiac. She tossed all six innings and was charged with eight earned runs on eight hits, walking four and striking out six.
Columbia continues its spring break on Tuesday with another game in Clearwater against Lafayette College. First pitch from the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex is scheduled for noon.
