In the first game of the doubleheader, Columbia’s Valerie Teter (10-3) threw a no-hitter to shutdown MVNU (3-5) as she worked all seven innings and struck out nine batters. The Lady Cougars only had three base runners in the game as freshman outfielder Jennifer Gulley drew a two-out walk in the top of the fifth inning and junior shortstop Tasha Konkle and sophomore second baseman Kristin Kurelic reached in the first and fifth innings respectively on errors.

Teter got all the run support that she would need from Columbia’s first batter of the game when Tori Long, who had two of her team’s four hits, led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run to left field. Columbia (14-7) would later add an insurance run in the bottom of the second inning when Krista Vlasak drew a one-out walk, stole second, and scored on an RBI-single to centerfield by Linda Diller to make it 2-0.

Senior right-hander Candace White (3-4) suffered the loss for MVNU despite allowing just four hits, four walks, and two runs with three strikeouts in six innings of work.

After a pitchers’ duel in the first game, the second game of the twinbill proved to be a much more offensive contest. Columbia again scored in its first at bat as Rachel Brawner doubled in Long in the top of the first inning for an early 1-0 lead.

This time, the Lady Cougars answered right away in their half of the first inning as Konkle was hit by a pitch and junior catcher Caitlin Murphy reached on an error. Both runners came around to score on a two-out, two-run single by junior first baseman Michelle Gastin as MVNU took a 2-1 lead.

Columbia answered with a run in the top of the second inning to knot the score at 2-2 when Vlasek hit a lead-off double and later came around to score on a wild pitch. Then, they took a 3-2 lead in the top of the third inning when Kacey Rehagen scampered home from third base while Brawner was thrown out trying to steal second.

Once again, the Lady Cougars answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning to regain the lead 4-3. Murphy scored the first run of the frame on a wild pitch and senior third baseman Karly Clay gave MVNU the lead with a run-scoring single to center with two outs.

The lead proved to be short-lived, though, as Columbia responded with three unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning to move back in front 6-4. With two outs, Jena Strobel and Diller reached on back-to-back singles. Then, an error allowed both runners to score as the inning continued and Teter later added an RBI-single for the third run in the frame.

Columbia tacked on two more insurance runs in the top of the fifth inning when Diller and Long both had run-scoring singles with two outs to increase the lead to 8-4.

Gulley led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a home run to left field as the Lady Cougars closed to within 8-5, but the next three batters were retired in order. Then, in the bottom of the seventh inning, MVNU loaded the bases with two outs but was unable to push across any runs as the Lady Cougars fell 8-5.

Freshman right-hander Meagan Brookes (0-1) suffered the loss in relief for MVNU as she gave up three hits, one walk, and three unearned runs in one inning of work. Sophomore lefty Stephanie Burlew started and worked three innings in which she scattered three hits, three walks, and three runs with one strikeout. White tossed the final three innings and gave up five hits, two walks, and two runs with one strikeout.

Rehagen (3-2) earned the win in relief for Columbia as she worked the final 4.1 innings and scattered five hits and one run with four strikeouts. Meghan Bailey started and lasted 2.2 innings as she allowed five hits, one walk, and four unearned runs.

Offensively, Gastin, Clay, and Gulley each had two hits apiece to lead the Lady Cougars. Meanwhile, Diller pounded out three hits to pace Columbia and Brawner and Strobel added two hits each.

MVNU will now return back to Mount Vernon where the Lady Cougars will get American Mideast Conference play under way on Monday with a conference doubleheader against Malone University at Cougar Field at 4:00 p.m.