Like Columbus State Athletics on Facebook!
Tweet #GoCSU

By: Josh Fuller

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 10^th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team scored at least three runs in four different innings en route to a 17-1 victory over Tuskegee Wednesday. The game took place at Paterson Field in Montgomery, Ala.
 
The Cougars banged out 15 hits in their fifth consecutive win. With its 17 runs, CSU has now scored at least 10 runs in nine different games.
 
"It was nice to get the bats going late in the game," said head coach Greg Appleton. "Kyle (Peals) threw great for us and the bullpen did its job keeping runners off the bases. It was a good win heading into a big weekend series with Georgia College."
 
Columbus State (17-4) put Kyle Peals into the drivers seat early as the Cougars scored two runs in the top of the first. Mike McClellan drove in the game's first run before Matt Nettles crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
 
The Golden Tigers got a run back in their half of the first as Ricky Green drove a double into the right-centerfield gap chasing home Marc Kennedy from first. Peals would limit the damage to just one though getting a groundout and a strikeout to end the threat.
 
From there, Peals would cruise. The senior would allow just one more hit over the next five innings. Tuskegee only had four base runners during that stretch and no runner reached second.
 
Peals (1-0) recorded his first victory of the season in the six-inning effort. He allowed just one run on two hits while striking out eight.
 
CSU's bats didn't come alive until the fifth inning when the Cougars added three runs to go in front 5-1. Hunter Bowling started the inning with a single to left before Tyler Fichter legged out a hit after dropping down a bunt. After a walk loaded the bases, Nettles found a hole in the infield, driving in a pair. Chris Daniel also drove in a run on a two-out single up the middle.
 
The Cougars came right back in the sixth adding three more. Bowling had a sacrifice fly that scored Grant Berry, who singled and stole second. Nettles made it an 8-1 game with another two-run single through the right side of the infield.
 
Columbus State exploded for nine runs over the final two innings, including scoring six in the ninth. Christian Miller had a pinch-hit double that plated Nettles in the eighth while Ryan Ihle added a RBI on a groundout. Berry capped off the scoring in the eighth thanks to a sacrifice fly.
 
In the ninth, the Cougars scored runs on singles by McClellan and Justin Evans while Ihle collected another RBI with a bases loaded walk. The final three CSU runs scored on a two-base error.
 
Every Columbus State batter contributed on Wednesday as all 11 position players either scored or recorded a hit. Nettles was 2-for-5 with four RBIs while Fichter was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. McClellan (1-for-4) and Ihle (0-for-4) each picked up two RBIs apiece. Edwards also had a multi-hit day going 2-for-5 with three runs scored from the leadoff spot.
 
In addition to Peals, Robert Hayes, Kolton Ingram and Sean Muller all threw a scoreless inning.
 
Columbus State will now prepare for long time Peach Belt Conference rival Georgia College. The three-game series will begin on Friday at 4 p.m. at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.