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By: Josh Fuller

COLUMBUS – Playing its first conference road series in the month of March, the 17^th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against Flagler Friday. The Peach Belt Conference series is taking place at Drysdale Field in St. Augustine, Fla.

Columbus State (22-9, 9-5 PBC) was blanked 5-0 in game one before Flagler (17-11, 6-8) scored 10 in the nightcap to win 10-3.

The two teams will cap off the series tomorrow afternoon with a single game beginning at 1 p.m.

Game One

It was all about Mike O'Reilly as the senior pitched a complete game shutout to give FC a 5-0 win in the opening game of the series. O'Reilly (5-2) scattered five hits while striking out six in the complete game effort.

Both O'Reilly and Cougar starter Caleb Kutsche pitched well to begin the game as both sides put up zeroes in the first two frames. Kutsche had to pitch out of a two-on, one-out jam in the second, but the junior got a groundout and a strikeout to keep the game scoreless after two.

In the third, Flagler broke through as Dylan Jones led the inning off with a single to right. Kolin McMillen immediately followed with a double into the left-centerfield gap to put the Saints up 1-0. Kutsche limited the damage to just one though getting a double play lineout to help shorten the frame.

CSU was able to get a base runner on in both the fourth and fifth innings, but nothing came off it as O'Reilly was kept the Cougars off the board.

Flagler added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth as three of the first five batters in the frame recorded a hit. Cole Ondrejka and Igor Baez had back-to-back singles to begin the frame before Kutsche issued a walk to load the bases. From there, Nick Oberg drove in one on a sacrifice fly while Jake Hathaway made it a 3-0 game with a RBI single. Chaz Wilson would then enter the game for CSU to register the final two outs of the inning.

Columbus State's best chance to break through came in the seventh as Mike McClellan and Ryan Ihle both reached base on singles. However, O'Reilly got a two-out groundout to keep the clean slate.

Flagler scored a pair of runs in the seventh to go in front 5-0 on a two-run single by James Jean.

Ihle was the lone Cougar to have multiple hits as the senior was 2-for-4. Jackson Oliver and Blake Edwards both finished the day 1-for-4.

Jones was 3-for-3 with two runs scored for Flagler while Jean had a pair of RBIs.

Kutsche (2-1) pitched well in the outing allowing three runs in 5.1 innings. He struck out five while issuing two walks.

Game Two

Flagler jumped on the Cougars early as the Saints scored four in the bottom of the first. Jones began the inning with a single off of Cougar starter Albert Harless and then proceeded to steal second. After a walk, a throwing error on a comebacker to the mound allowed Jones to cross for the first run of the game.

Things got worse from there as Baez made it 4-0 with one swing of the bat with a three-run home run over the left-centerfield wall.

From there, Harless eased into the game, allowing just two base runners over the next four innings. However, CSU's bats were also struggling as Michael Maiocco kept the Cougars at bay. The Cougars recorded a hit in the first, but didn't get another until the seventh.

In the sixth, another long ball made the comeback attempt even harder as Flagler got a three-run shot from Oberg to go ahead 7-0.

Columbus State finally broke through in seventh scoring a pair of runs. Oliver singled to begin the frame before McClellan banged a double down the left field line to chase Oliver home. McClellan scored later in the inning on a Matt Nettles sacrifice fly.

Flagler responded with three of its own in the seventh thanks to three Cougar errors.

Edwards capped off the scoring in the eighth with a RBI double.

Edwards finished the game with a 2-for-4 performance while four other Cougar players had a hit.

Harless (3-2) allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in six innings of work. He tied a season high with eight strikeouts. Jacob Boccucci pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

Jones was 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot for the Saints while Baez was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs.

Maiocco (5-1) tossed seven strong innings for Flagler to record the win. He struck out seven while scattering six hits.