Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 The IU Columbus softball team earned their way into the River States Conference tournament based on their regular season performance. It would be an uphill battle as they were seeded sixth out of the six teams that qualified. They opened play on Thursday in Charleston, West Virginia against the third-seeded Rio Grande Red Storm, and after a 7-3 loss, they dropped into the losers bracket. That meant a matchup with the top seed, Oakland City, who were upset in their first round game by IU Southeast. The Crimson Pride defeated Oakland City on Friday by a score of 11-3. That win moved them into a game against the second-seeded Shawnee State later that day. They stayed hot and defeated the Bears 7-2 to advance into a Saturday game against Rio Grande, with the winner moving on to the championship round. Rio Grande was able to hang on for a 4-3 victory, ending the season for the Crimson Pride.

Thursday, April 30 vs Rio Grande
Playing as the visitors, IU Columbus opened up the scoring in the top of the first. Linnea Baldner reached on an error as her speed forced the shortstop to hurry. A sacrifice bunt by Lex Heafner moved Baldner to second, and she scored on Mallory Shelton's RBI double for an early 1-0 lead. Chloe Linn was the starting pitcher, and she got through the first two innings in scoreless fashion. The Red Storm were able to put two runs on the board in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Jazlynn Stewart led off the fourth with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mackenzie Matern. Lily Culp stroked a two-out single to score Stewart and tie the score.

Rio Grande scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to lead 5-2. They added two more in the fifth to stretch the lead to 7-2. The Crimson Pride offense was held in check until the seventh by the Red Storm's ace Meg McCallum, who collected the victory to move her record to 17-3 on the season. Baldner led off the seventh with a triple and scored on a single by Heafner for the final run of the game, making the final score 7-3.

Friday, May 1 vs Oakland City
Facing Oakland City in an elimination game was a tough task, and the Crimson Pride were up for the challenge. Baldner led off the top of the first with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Heafner. Shelton singled, moving Baldner to third. An RBI single by Emma Chism scored the first run of the game and moved Shelton to third. Stewart reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with one out. Renee Lecher also reached on a fielder's choice to score Shelton and keep the bases loaded. Culp ripped a single through the right side for two more runs and a 4-0 lead. Oakland City answered by loading the bases with nobody out in the bottom half of the first. Matern came on in relief of Kaitlyn Spears and limited the damage to two runs. The Mighty Oaks added one more run in the second inning to cut the lead to 4-3.

Chism led off the third with a single. Lecher walked with one out, and Culp delivered an RBI single for a 5-3 lead. Baldner struck again, leading off the fourth with a double. Heafner singled and stole second base. Shelton's sacrifice fly scored Baldner, and Chism singled in Heafner for a 7-3 lead. The offense got rolling again in the top of the fifth. Culp started the inning with a single, and Julia Abbott walked. With one out Baldner and Heafner each had RBI singles, and Shelton walked to load the bases again. Chism singled up the middle to score Baldner and Heafner for an 11-3 lead.

Matern continued with a strong performance in the circle, shutting down the Mighty Oaks offense once again in the fifth, and just like that, the Crimson Pride had eliminated the top-seeded Oakland City by the run rule 11-3.

Friday, May 1 vs Shawnee State
After eliminating the top seed an hour earlier, there was no time to relax as the number two seed Shawnee State Bears were the next opponent in another elimination contest. Baldner led off the game with a single and moved to third on a bunt single by Heafner. Shelton's sacrifice fly gave the Crimson Pride an early 1-0 lead. 

Chloe Linn started in the circle and struggled through a tough first inning as the Bears scored two runs for a 2-1 lead. The top of the order came through again in the third. Baldner singled and stole second, and Heafner walked to bring up Shelton. The senior from Bloomfield lit a bomb to left field, and her three-run homer gave the Crimson Pride a 4-2 lead. Chism singled and Stewart tripled for a 5-2 lead. Heafner singled with one out in the fifth, and Shelton walked. Stewart singled in Heafner, and Shelton scored on an infield error for a 7-2 lead. 

That was all the offense Linn needed as she threw a complete game, giving up only six hits and those two first-inning runs. What a great day for IU Columbus; back-to-back wins over the top two seeds in elimination games!

Saturday, May 2 vs Rio Grande
Destiny Forler started in the circle for the Crimson Pride and was strong early. The offense got going in the third. With one out Justice Cash and Baldner reached on bunt singles. Shelton was intentionally walked with two outs to load the bases. Chism worked a walk to force in Cash with the first run of the game. 

Rio Grande scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead, and Matern relieved Forler in the circle. The Red Storm added two more runs in the fifth for a 4-1 lead.

The Crimson Pride had one last chance in the seventh. Matern started things off with a single. One out later Baldner singled, and Heafner walked to load the bases for Shelton. Rio Grande wanted no part of Shelton, giving her nothing good to swing at. They walked her on four pitches to force in Matern. Carli Hosler hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Baldner to bring the Crimson Pride within one run. That is where the rally ended, and Rio Grande escaped with a 4-3 win, and IU Columbus finished in third place in the River States Conference Tournament.