Lady Eagles Fall in Extras, Rally for Split with Columbia

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (4/13/24) - The Williams Baptist softball team earned a split with Columbia College on Saturday afternoon after dropping the first game 7-5 in 10 innings but then rallied for a 4-2 win in game two. 

The split keeps the Lady Eagles tied atop the American Midwest Conference standings with a 27-13 overall record mark and a 10-2 record in the league. Missouri Baptist also sits atop the league with a 10-2 stanza as well.

Williams entered the bottom of the sixth inning of game two trailing 2-0 but rallied to score four runs in the frame and then shut down any chance of a comeback by the Cougars in the top of the seventh to earn the win.

The first three batters of the inning reached to load the bases for Natalia Watkins who brought in the first run of the game for WBU with a sacrifice fly. A throwing error by the Columbia left fielder allowed runners to move to second and third and Madyson Shoebottom followed with a 2-run double to left-center to give the home side their first lead at 3-2.

Madison Knight drove in Shoebottom later in the inning with an RBI double of her own to give Williams a two-run cushion going into the final inning.

Freshman Emberlin Caldwell shut down the Cougars in order in the seventh to pick up her 14th victory of the year. 

Megan Petty and Shoebottom each went 2-for-3 with a run scored, with Shoebottom adding in two RBIs.

In game one, Williams Baptist tied the game at 2-2 after the first inning thanks to an RBI hit from Shoebottom and a throwing error by the Cougars that allowed Rylee Boshell to score the second run of the inning.

Columbia took the lead back in the fourth inning, but Williams rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Shoebottom to send the game into extra innings. 

After scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth innings, the Cougars broke through with four runs in the top of the 10th inning to go ahead 7-3. 

The Lady Eagles rallied in the bottom half of the inning, however, scoring twice on singles by Kennedy Johnson and Knight. The rally fell short, however, as Columbia slammed the door shut when Williams brought the tying run to the plate. 

Shoebottom and Knight collected three hits in the game, while Laila Byas and Maddi Altenthal had two hits apiece.

The Lady Eagles will take to the road on Friday, April 19 for a doubleheader at Williams Woods. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.