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By: Stephen Williams

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – In a big early season conference series, the 28^th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team rallied for a 7-2 victory at seventh-ranked North Georgia on Sunday. The Peach Belt Conference contest was played at Bob Stein Stadium in Dahlonega, Ga.
 
Brandon Koehler (3-0) went the distance for the Cougars to stay perfect on the season. The junior gave up just one earned run on three hits, while striking out eight.
 
Christian Miller continued to swing a hot bat, going 2-for-5 with a home run and two driven in. The senior has now homered in three consecutive games and has four on the season.
 
"Once again, we found a way to battle back after falling behind," head coach Greg Appleton said. "Our guys never stop fighting and we were able to pick up a big road series win this weekend."
 
Pitching ruled the game early as Koehler and UNG starter Daniel McCrary dominated the opposing offenses.
 
Columbus State (12-3, 5-1 PBC) threatened first in the second inning. Mike McClellan, Miller and Ryan Ihle each singled to load the bases with nobody out. The Cougars then ran into some bad luck as Justin Evans lined a ball to third that turned into a double play. A strikeout then kept the Cougars off the board.
 
North Georgia (10-4, 4-2) finally broke through in the third thanks to a misplay by the Cougars. The Nighthawks had a runner on with two down and a single to left-centerfield plus a mishap in the outfield allowed the runner to come all the way around from first and score.
 
The score held at 1-0 in UNG's favor until the fifth. Evans walked to start the inning for the Cougars and was moved to second on Hunter Bowling's sacrifice bunt. With two out, Blake Edwards delivered with a double into the gap that knotted the game at one-all.
 
The Nighthawks went right back in front though, getting a solo home run from Steven Tomlinson to lead off the bottom half of the frame.
 
The counterpunch came quickly for Columbus State, picking up two runs with one swing. McClellan singled with one away to chase McCrary from the game. Miller then greeted the new pitched with an opposite field two-run home run on the third pitch he saw to give CSU its first lead of the day.
 
Koehler kept rolling on the mound, tossing perfect sixth and eighth innings while dancing around trouble in the seventh.
 
Looking for insurance, the Cougars found four runs in the top of the ninth to put the game away. Bowling had a RBI knock to get the scoring started, while Jackson Oliver walked with the bases loaded to force another run across. Matt Nettles had the knockout blow, singling home a pair.
 
In the bottom half, Koehler allowed a leadoff single before getting a double play and a strikeout to finish off the complete game effort.
 
Edwards and Ihle each extended their hitting streaks out to 14 games in the series finale. Every Cougar starter reached base, with seven different players picking up at least one hit.
 
Columbus State steps out of conference play for the next six games, beginning with a road contest at Auburn-Montgomery on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.