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By: Josh Fuller

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The 26^th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning to break open a 2-2 game to defeat 24^th-ranked Augusta 7-2 Saturday afternoon. The Peach Belt Conference game took place at Jaguar Field in Augusta, Ga.

Columbus State (32-10, 17-6 PBC) now sits alone atop the PBC standings, one game ahead of Augusta.

"This was just another example of how this team doesn't quit," said head coach Greg Appleton. "We gave away a late lead, but the guys wasted no time getting it back. We have to keep this momentum heading into tomorrow and try to steal a sweep on the road."

The Cougars held a 2-0 lead into the seventh when Augusta (27-13, 16-7) started to chip away. The Jags scored single runs in the seventh and eighth to send the game into the ninth tied at two.

The game wouldn't stay tied for long as Christian Miller led off the ninth with a solo homer over the centerfield wall to put the Cougars back on top. The scoring didn't stop there however, as Blake Edwards drew a walk and Matt Nettles singled to left to put two runners on. After a sacrifice bunt, Lake Hart singled to center to give CSU a 4-2 lead. CSU would then put on a squeeze play with Tyler Fichter at the plate to push across another run.

Following the bunt, Jackson Oliver was hit by a pitch to put another Cougar on and Ryan Ihle followed with a single to right to bring in another Cougar run. Columbus State executed a double-steal to cap off the scoring.

In bottom of the ninth, Augusta managed just a single as CSU increased its winning steak to 10 games.

Mike McClellan and Nettles were the lone two Cougars to post a multi-hit day.  McClellan was 2-for-5 with a double and a homer­­ to increase his hitting streak to 10 games. Nettles was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Ihle was 1-for-4 also extending his hitting streak to 10.

Albert Harless put together one of his best starts of the year for the Cougars. Harless tossed 7.2 innings allowing just two runs on six hits. He struck out four and faced just three batters in four of the seven full innings that he pitched. Justin Evans (3-1) picked up the win after throwing the final 1.1 innings. The freshman stuck out three.

The scoring started early for Columbus State as McClellan hit his 13^th homer of the season off of Augusta starter Joey Stillwell in the first.

Both starters would put zeroes on the board until the fifth. Grant Berry legged out an infield single to start the inning and moved to second on a groundout. Following a strikeout, Oliver came up with a clutch two-out double down the left field line to chase Berry from second.

The game would stay at 2-0 until a solo homer by Connor Gilbert to start the bottom of the seventh. An inning later, Gilbert tied the game thanks to a two-out single.

Columbus State will look for the series sweep Sunday at 1 p.m.