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By: Josh Fuller

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The 26^th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team scored in seven of the nine innings, including seven runs in the eighth, to cap off a three-game sweep of 24^th-ranked Augusta with a 20-7 victory Sunday afternoon. The Peach Belt Conference game took place at Jaguar Field in Augusta, Ga.

The 20 runs are a season-high for Columbus State (33-10, 18-6 PBC) in conference play and are the most runs for CSU in a PBC game since April 11, 2015. The Cougars finished the series with 37 runs on 50 hits.

"You couldn't have dreamed of a better weekend for us," said head coach Greg Appleton. "Our offense has been unbelievable over the past month and our pitching has also been better. We haven't accomplished anything yet and we have to stay leveled and prepare for another tough weekend ahead."

During CSU's 11-game winning streak, the Cougars are averaging over 12 runs per game and have failed only twice to surpass the 10-run mark.

Sunday's game started with a bang for Columbus State as singles by Jackson Oliver and Mike McClellan and an Augusta error loaded the bases. With two down, Matt Nettles stepped to the plate and popped a grand slam over the right field wall to give CSU the comfortable lead.

Augusta (27-14, 16-8) got a solo homer from Drew Taylor in its half of the first before CSU increased the margin to 6-1 with two more in the second. Oliver notched another hit, this time a double, that advanced Tyler Fichter to third. Ryan Ihle made a productive out with a sacrifice fly to score Fichter and McClellan followed with a clutch two-out, run-scoring single to give CSU the five-run lead.

The Cougars continued to score adding single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to go up 9-3. Ihle knocked in another run in the fourth with a single, while Oliver came away with a two-out single in the fifth that chase home Justin Evans from second.

In the sixth, Columbus State put up another crooked number on the board as Christian Miller led the inning off with a solo shot to left. Following the homer, Augusta was able to get two outs while just allowing a single. However, CSU would find some two-out magic as Hunter Bowling extended the inning with a single to put runners on the corners. Fichter followed with a single to center to give CSU an 11-3 lead. After a pitching change, Oliver was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Ihle worked a walk to force in another Cougar run. CSU scored its fourth run in the frame on a wild pitch to go up 13-3.

Augusta got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth and were able to get Cougar starter Caleb Kutsche out of the game. The Jags had five hits in the frame, but CSU reliever Kyle Peals was able to limit the damage after stranding the bases loaded striking out Taylor for the final out of the inning.

After a scoreless seventh, Columbus State put the game away with seven runs in the eighth. Ihle drove home his fourth run of the day with a single to start the scoring after Bowling and Fichter started the inning with hits. A wild pitch allowed another CSU run to cross the plate and Miller continued the hit parade with a single to center to push the Cougar lead back out to 10 at 16-6.

Augusta made another pitching change, but it didn't help as Edwards was hit by a pitch and Nettles walked to load the bases for Evans. The freshman would capitalize hitting CSU's second grand slam of the day making it a 20-6 game.

Augusta scored a single run in the bottom of the eighth, but that would be all as the Jags dropped two games behind CSU in the PBC standings.

Fichter was 4-for-6 for Columbus State with a double and four runs scored. Ihle had four RBIs on two hits while Oliver and McClellan each tallied three hits. Every Cougar starter had at least one hit in the game. Nettles and Evans each scored three times while driving in four.

Kutsche improved to 4-1 on the year after tossing 5.2 innings. He allowed six runs en route to his second straight victory. Shawn Thomas threw a perfect ninth for the Cougars.

CSU now has six PBC games remaining, all at home at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field. The Cougars will host Armstrong State next weekend beginning on Saturday, April 23. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.