TOWSON, Md. — The Columbia softball team fell to Providence, 8-5, and Towson, 2-1, on Saturday at the TU DeMarini Invite, hosted at the Towson Softball Stadium.
 
Columbia (1-7) was led by graduate Maria Pagane and junior Bubba Gleaves in the opener against Providence. Pagane was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Gleaves went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Sophomore Jaden Hill went 1-for-3 and drove in a pair on a double down the right field line in the fifth.
 
Hill's double tied the score, 5-5, but the Friars (8-5) answered with three runs in the bottom half to retake the lead. A one-out RBI single broke the tie and a two-out, two-run double off the bat of Madi Traver opened the lead back up to three. Those runs were chaged to Jordan Hill, who went three innings in relief.
 
Tori Grifone earned the win for the Friars, pitching the final two innings and allowing just one runner to reach base on a walk. She struck out four to improve to 4-2.
 
In game two, junior Kaia McCaul took the circle and went the distance, surrendering two runs on five hits while striking out three. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for the win, as the Lions only mustered a single run on a Maddie Souza RBI single in the fifth. Hunter Travers was thrown out at third on the hit, extinguishing the rally and the opportunity to tie the game.
 
The Lions only managed three hits against the Tigers (3-12), who saw starting pitcher Melissa Abrahamian go five innings before Julia Jackson shut the door over the final two. Abrahamian got the win to improve to 2-5.
 
Towson didn't do anything spectacular to score its runs. Their first came on a double steal in the second with runners at the corners and one out. Columbia got the out at second but allowed Poulich, who led off the inning with a double, to score from third. They doubled their lead with an unearned run in the third, helped along by a fielding error at third base.
 
The Lions hope to turn things around on Sunday, then they finish off the weekend with two more games. Columbia will take on Providence at 10 a.m., followed by Coppin State at 12:30 p.m.

For the latest on the Columbia softball program, follow @CULionsSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/CULionsSoftball. You can view all the latest with the Lions on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com/Softball.