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The Columbia Lady Tigers suffered an ugly 22-12 loss against the Lafayette Hornets on Thursday night. The game ended after the fifth inning due to a mercy rule; the Tigers were down by 10 runs, thus triggering the early finish. Despite the blowout loss, the Tigers did put up an impressive offensive performance. McKenna O’Sullivan, Sakiya Merriex, and Haley Cook all chipped in with two hits each, while Cook racked up three RBIs.
An Early Offensive Explosion from Lafayette
The Lady Tigers almost immediately got off to a rough start. The Hornets scored eight runs in the first inning alone, and the Tigers struggled to respond early on. As the game went on, they managed to stay within a single-digit deficit for the first four innings.
Their offense finally got going in the third inning, as they scored four runs. However, it did not do much to make the game competitive, as the Hornets had scored four runs of their own earlier in the inning.
After 3 innings, the Tigers are down 13-7. Both teams drove in four runs during the third inning as the Tigers continue to fight to stay in the game. pic.twitter.com/nNoPIWf9Ae
— Jack Meyer (@jackmeyerUF) February 25, 2022
It eventually got to the point where the Tigers were attempting to match the Hornets’ offensive output to avoid the mercy rule. That strategy eventually failed when the Hornets scored five runs in the fifth inning; the Tigers only scored three in response.
And that’s the ballgame. The Columbia Tigers fall to the Lafayette Hornets in five innings. Final score: 22-12. pic.twitter.com/VmNLwAc6ab
— Jack Meyer (@jackmeyerUF) February 25, 2022
One reason for the Hornets’ mind-boggling offensive output was some miscues from the Lady Tigers’ defense. Columbia committed seven errors in the game and threw six wild pitches. The latter proved to be especially costly to the team’s chances of coming back; several of Lafayette’s runs came from wild pitches.
Bright Spots for the Lady Tigers
Despite the double-digit loss, Columbia did have plenty of highlights in Thursday’s game. Both of Merriex’s hits went for extra bases. She walked away with a double and a triple on the night.
The Lady Tigers were also active in their baserunning, as they stole four bases during the game. Jayden Kohn had an active night on the bases as well, as she finished the night with three runs scored.
There was not much going for Columbia defensively, but their offense looked better and better as the game went on. Their performance is all the more impressive considering how they were shut out in their season opener against Bradford last Tuesday. This offensive momentum may be something to keep an eye on in their coming games.
On the Horizon for Columbia
While Thursday’s loss puts the Lady Tigers at 0-2 to start the season, they still have plenty of games remaining. Their next outing will be on Tuesday, March 1, when they will visit the Dixie County Bears. The Lady Tigers will hope to pick up their first win of the season against a Bears team that has started the year 2-0.
