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By: Josh Fuller

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Auburn Montgomery scored two runs in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie to defeat the 13^th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team 3-1 Wednesday. The non-conference game took place at the AUM Baseball Complex.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Cody Rush sent a 1-1 pitch right up the middle to plate the go-ahead runs.

"We didn't play our best tonight," said head coach Greg Appleton. "We left runners all over the place and we had a few very costly walks that came back to hurt us."

AUM didn't get its first hit until the bottom of the third inning as Kaleb Harris doubled with one out off of Cougar starter Kyle Peals. Houston Davenport followed with a shallow single to center, but it wasn't deep enough to score Harris from second.

Peals induced another fly ball this time to Matt Nettles in left. Harris would try to score, but Nettles gunned him down at the plate to keep the game scoreless.

Columbus State (12-4) took the lead in the fourth thanks to three hits in the frame. Mike McClellan led the inning off with a single through the left side of the infield before Ryan Ihle found a hole himself with one out. Following a fly out, Lake Hart came up with a big two-out double that pushed the Cougars on top.

However, AUM answered in its half of the inning as Dalton Kelley put himself into scoring position with a one-out triple. The Warhawks tied the game a batter later as Jack Folmar singled through the right side. 

The bottom of the fifth didn't start as the Cougars would have hoped as reliever Shawn Thomas walked the first two batters he faced. After a sacrifice bunt and a pop up, Rush delivered with his two-run single off of Robert Hayes.

CSU's best chance to even the game was in the seventh as Tyler Fichter and Blake Edwards led the inning off with back-to-back singles. However, a fielder's choice, fly out and a groundout ended the threat.

Edwards and Grant Berry were the only two Cougars to record a multi-hit performance on Wednesday. Edwards went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 15 games. Berry was 2-for-4.

Ihle (1-for-4) and Fichter (1-for-4) also extended their hitting streaks to 15 and nine games, respectively.  

Peals pitched well in the start for the Cougars allowing one run on five hits. Thomas (0-1) took the loss. Hayes and Chaz Wilson pitched four combined innings allowing just one hit.

Rush was 1-for-4 for AUM with two RBIs. Cole Goodwin (3-1) recorded the win after tossing the final five innings. He struck out seven while allowing four hits. Seth Arroyo allowed one run in four innings in the start.

Columbus State will return home for a weekend series against Saginaw Valley State at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field. The Cougars and Cardinals will play a four-game series beginning with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.