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By: Josh Fuller

COLUMBUS – Twenty-fifth-ranked Lander scored three runs in the top of the first and never looked back as the Bearcats defeated the seventh-ranked Columbus State University baseball team 14-5 Saturday evening. The Peach Belt Conference game took place at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.

LU scored multiple runs in four different innings, including putting the game away with four runs in the seventh.

"We haven't been playing our best ball of late," said head coach Greg Appleton. "We aren't pitching our best and we have run into a great hitting team and they are making us pay.

"We have to come out and put some zeros on the board tomorrow to avoid being swept."

It was an inauspicious start for Columbus State as the first four hitters recorded a hit to open the game. Matt White opened the game with a single before Zach Daly blasted a two-run home run to put the Bearcats up 2-0. After back-to-back singles, Cougar starter Albert Harless retired the next two hitters, but Alex Conaway came through with a two-out single plating another.

Columbus State (20-7, 8-3 PBC) got a run back in the bottom of the second with one swing of the bat as Mike McClellan launched his seventh homer of the year over the left field wall.

Like they have done all series, the Bearcats had an answer in the next half inning as LU scored two more to go up 5-1. Lander loaded the bases to begin the third before Harless got a key double play ball to help limit the damage, however Colby Lusignan scored on the play. With a runner still on third with two outs, Conaway delivered another clutch hit to increase the Bearcat lead to four.

CSU's best inning came in the fourth as the Cougars scored three thanks to four hits in the frame. With Jackson Oliver and McClellan on and two out, Grant Berry helped extend the inning with a hard single up the middle that scored Oliver to make it a 5-2 game. Ryan Ihle and Lake Hart both followed with run scoring hits of their own to bring the Cougars within one.

However, Lander (23-5, 14-3) responded with two runs in both the fifth and sixth before the four-run seventh.

In the fifth, Mason Dodd continued his good series with a two-run, two-out single to increase LU's lead to 7-4.

After CSU made it a two-run game again thanks to a solo homer by Matt Nettles in the fifth, Lander added two of its own in the top half of the sixth thanks to a two-run shot by Thomas Berry.

Down 9-5, Columbus State had one last chance to get back in the game. In the bottom of the sixth, a walk and two hit batsman loaded the bases for the Cougars. However, Lander reliever Robbie Hoyt entered the game and retired the next three batters to strand the bases loaded.

Hoyt finished off the game surrendering just one hit as he picked up a save.

In the seventh, Lander got another two-run single by Dodd while Lusignan had a two-out single to right that plated one. Lusignan had a RBI single in the ninth to cap off the game's scoring.

Harless (3-1) took the loss for CSU after allowing five runs in 2.2 innings of work. Cody Mimbs pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Cougars.

Hart had a perfect day at the plate for CSU going 3-for-3 with a RBI. McClellan continued swinging a hot bat going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI.

Sam Linn (4-0) recorded the win for Lander tossing five innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits.

Lusignan was 4-for-5 for the Bearcats with two RBIs. Dodd was 3-for-4 with four runs driven in.

Columbus State and Lander will wrap up the series Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.