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By: Richard Navratil

COLUMBUS – The 13th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team finished off its weekend series with a pair of 7-4 victories over Saginaw Valley State University to complete the four-game series sweep. The doubleheader was played at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field on Sunday afternoon.
 
The pair of wins catapults Columbus State to 16-4 overall. The Cardinals drop to 3-5 with the two losses.
 
Columbus State will travel to Montgomery, Ala. to square off against Tuskegee on Wednesday, March 9. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
In game one, Jackson Oliver and Mike McClellan provided the artillery support with 2-for-4 apiece, providing one and two RBIs, respectively. Just Evans also belted his first career homerun for the Cougars, bringing in three RBIs.
 
Game One
 
Just as it did in game one on Saturday, SVSU got on the scoreboard first. The Cardinals bunted a run across the plate in the top of the first inning to jump in front.
 
The Cougars bounced back immediately in the bottom of the frame. With one down, Jackson Oliver pushed a bunt past the pitcher to get on safely, paving a way for Mike McClellan to collect an RBI double to tie the game at one apiece.
 
Both pitchers then settled in and cruised through scoreless frames until the Columbus State fourth.
 
Christian Miller drew a leadoff walk and Matt Nettles put the Cougars on top with a double into the gap. Justin Evans then gave CSU extra cushion launching a three-run home run over the left field wall to make it 5-1. The scoring continued in the inning as Oliver and McClellan each knocked in a run.
 
Saginaw Valley State answered back with three runs in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit in half, but Columbus State starter Brandon Koehler slammed the door shut from there.
 
Koehler (4-0) went the distance for the Cougars, tossing his third complete game of the season. The junior gave up four earned runs on five hits, striking out eight on the afternoon.
 
Oliver and McClellan each had a pair of hits to pace the Cougars. McClellan drove in two, while Evans picked up three RBIs on the home run.
 
Game Two
 
CSU fell behind in the first inning again in Sunday's second game as the Cardinals got an unearned run on the board against starter Jacob Boccucci.
 
Once again, the lead didn't last long for SVSU. Blake Edwards led things off in the bottom of the first with a single through left side and Oliver drove him home with a deep double to left.
 
Again, the starting pitchers recovered and put zeroes on the board in the second and third innings, before SVSU took the lead with a run in the fourth.
 
A loud answer came from CSU though as the Cougars put together a six-run inning in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Evans started the inning with a double to left and was moved to third on Tyler Fichter's base hit bunt to the third baseman. Fichter swiped second and the red-hot hitting Edwards took a walk to load the bases.
 
Oliver dropped down a bunt sending Evans in for a second CSU run. McClellan's walk with the bases loaded was an easy RBI and a third Cougar run. Miller then delivered the big blow getting a bases-clearing double that brought three runs home. Lake Hart then pushed a RBI single through the right side to complete the scoring.
 
Saginaw Valley State put a pair of runs up in the seventh, but Jarrod Little closed out the game to give the Cougars the series sweep.
 
Boccucci (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, allowing just one earned run in four innings of work. Little picked up the save tossing the final three innings.
 
Oliver went 2-for-4 in the second game to lead the Cougars. Miller drove in three runs, while Edwards scored a pair.