SOUTH CHARLESTON, WV – The IU Columbus Crimson Pride made program history at the River States Conference Softball Championship in South Charleston, West Virginia, exceeding expectations with a third-place finish after being picked seventh in the preseason poll. The team's historic run through the tournament featured their first-ever postseason victories, displaying remarkable resilience and a flair for dramatic comebacks.

Game #1: Oakland City 5, IU Columbus 2 (Thursday, May 1)

The tournament began with a challenging match-up against #3 Oakland City. Despite a strong pitching effort from Erica Henry, who went the distance with 98 pitches, the Crimson Pride fell 5-2 in the opener.

The game remained scoreless through three innings before Oakland City broke through with a run in the fourth inning when Heichelbech scored on a wild pitch. Oakland City extended their lead to 5-0 heading into the final inning.

IU Columbus showed fight in the seventh, staging a late rally when Lex Heafner scored on a wild pitch and Izzy Johnson drove in Lily Culp with a single through the left side. However, the comeback fell short as Oakland City's pitching duo of Paige McDaniel and Grace Butcher combined to limit IU Columbus to just seven hits.

Game #2: IU Columbus 6, Shawnee State 3 (Friday, May 2)

The Crimson Pride secured their first-ever tournament victory with a come-from-behind 6-3 win over #4 Shawnee State. After falling behind 3-0 through three innings, IU Columbus refused to quit.

The comeback began in the fourth when Hannah Taylor singled to right field and scored on an error, with Renee Lecher also coming around to score on the same play, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The sixth inning proved decisive as IU Columbus erupted for four runs. Renee Lecher tied the game with an RBI single that scored Izzy Johnson. Mallory Shelton followed with another RBI single to put the Crimson Pride ahead 4-3. The exclamation point came when Lily Culp tripled down the right field line, driving in two more runs to extend the lead to 6-3.

Erica Henry pitched a complete game for the win, scattering seven hits while only walking one. The victory marked a turning point for the program in its postseason history.

Game #3: IU Columbus 8, IU Southeast 6 (Friday, May 2)

Building on their momentum, and their second game of the day, IU Columbus secured another come-from-behind victory with a thrilling 8-6 win over #2 IU Southeast, completing their most impressive comeback of the tournament.

The Crimson Pride took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning when Justice Cash scored on a wild pitch and Lex Heafner drove in Lily Culp with a groundout. However, the Grenadiers answered with a run in the fifth and five more in the sixth to take a commanding 6-2 lead heading into the final inning.

Facing elimination, IU Columbus mounted an incredible siz-run rally in the top of the seventh. Lex Heafner started the comeback with an RBI single, followed by Taylor York's RBI single to make it 6-4. The defining moment came when Mallory Shelton cleared the bases with a triple to right field, giving IU Columbus a 7-6 lead. Hannah Taylor added an insurance run with an RBI single to cap the remarkable comeback.

Erica Henry earned her second consecutive complete-game victory, battling through 142 pitches to keep her team alive in the tournament.

Game #4: Oakland City 10, IU Columbus 2 (Saturday, May 3)

The Crimson Pride's historic run came to an end in a rematch with #3 Oakland City. Despite another early effort, IU Columbus couldn't overcome the Mighty Oak's offensive firepower in a 10-2 defeat.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, IU Columbus rallied in the third when Mallory Shelton scored on an error and Justice Cash doubled to bring home Hannah Taylor, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

However, Oakland City pulled away with a seven-run sixth inning, highlighted by Grace Butcher's two-run triple and Madison Shipley's two-run double.

Historic Achievement

For a program picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll, IU Columbus' third-place finish at the RSC Tournament represents a remarkable achievement. The team's ability to execute under pressure and stage multiple comebacks demonstrated their growth throughout the season and sets a foundation for future success.

Athletic Director Zach McClellan expressed pride in the program's breakthrough performance: "This softball season was truly historic for our program. The amount of toughness and competitiveness this team showed made a statement to the conference. The future is bright for IU Columbus softball."

The Crimson Pride's two tournament victories will be remembered as watershed moments for the program, establishing IU Columbus as a rising force in the River States Conference softball landscape.