Eagles set for regional final showdown with Bulldogs
The Columbia softball team won 6-3 over Freeburg in a Class 3A regional semifinal Wednesday at Waterloo High School, setting up a showdown with top-seeded Waterloo in the regional final on Monday.
The Eagles and Midgets had split their season series, and both teams came out swinging as the score was 2-2 after one inning.
The second inning was similar, with Freeburg briefly taking a 3-2 lead before Columbia answered with a run.
Columbia starting pitcher Brina Rujawitz settled down from there, and although Freeburg threatened several times, it was the Eagles who added a run in each of the next three innings to run the score to 6-3. Rujawitz went the distance in the pitcher’s circle for the win.
The offensive highlight was a home run to left-center field by senior infielder Kaylee Bastien in the fifth inning to give Columbia some breathing room at 5-3. Bastien went 4-for-4 on the day.
Courtney Weilbacher added three hits for the Eagles, who improved to 25-3 on the season. Columbia dropped a 9-4 contest to the Bulldogs (33-1) back on March 30 in the championship of the Monroe County Tournament.
The two county rivals will meet again, this time with a regional championship on the line. Gametime is 3:30 p.m. Monday. Waterloo defeated Althoff on Tuesday, 10-0, to advance to the final. Kasey Bradley threw her third no-hitter of the season in the win.