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By: Josh Fuller

COLUMBUS – The 13th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team scored five runs in the first two innings to cruise to its 16th straight win taking down UNC Pembroke 11-5 Friday evening. The Peach Belt Conference game took place at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.
 
With the win, CSU (38-10, 22-6 PBC) needs just one win in its final two games to capture the PBC regular season title.
 
"It's always good to get some runs on the board early and it allows the pitcher to relax and just throw," said head coach Greg Appleton. "Brandon [Koehler] hit his spots tonight and really got the job done saving our bullpen for the rest of the weekend."
 
After Koehler threw a perfect first, the Cougars quickly got on the board. With one out, Ryan Ihle legged out an infield single before Mike McClellan roped a double into the left field corner that allowed Ihle to scamper home. Christian Miller immediately followed with a double of his own to make it a 2-0. After a groundout, CSU's third double of the inning, this time by Matt Nettles, plated a third Cougar run.
 
UNC Pembroke (26-21, 12-16) stranded two runners in scoring position in the second before the Cougars went up 5-0. Two errors and a Jackson Oliver bunt single loaded the bases for McClellan with just one down. McClellan would just put the ball in play, lofting a high pop up into right-centerfield that scored Tyler Fichter. Miller followed with a sharp two-out single to right to make it a 5-0 game.
 
In the third, UNCP loaded the bases with no outs, but Koehler limited the damage to just one run inducing a double play ball and a fly out to get out of the inning.
 
Just an inning later, the Cougars got the run back as McClellan launched his 17th homer of the year to increase the CSU lead to 6-1. It was the senior's 46th home run of his career, which ties Dusty DeVore (1994-97) for the second most all-time at CSU.
 
The Braves inched closer to the Cougars in the fifth and sixth as UNCP got solo homers in each frame to make it a 6-3 game.
 
After Ihle drove in a two-out run in the bottom of the sixth for the Cougars, UNC Pembroke made things interesting in the seventh. Hayden Buffkin got things going with a one-out double before a wild pitch moved him to third. Roberto Rivera followed putting the ball in play to score Buffkin.
 
Luke Porter would enter the game for the Cougars with a runner on first and was greeted by back-to-back singles by the Braves that made it a 7-5 game. A walk loaded the bases, but a nice play by McClellan at first ended the inning and kept the Cougars in front.
 
It was Columbus State's turn in the bottom of the seventh to score more runs as the Cougars put a three spot on the board. Justin Evans launched a two-run shot while back-to-back doubles pushed across another Cougar run.
 
CSU capped off the scoring in the eighth on a Blake Edwards sacrifice fly.

Five Cougars had a multi-hit day with McClellan leading the way with a 2-for-3 performance. The senior had a double and a homer while driving in three and scoring twice. Hunter Bowling (2-for-4) and Fichter (2-for-4) both had two doubles while CSU hit a season-high eight in the game.
 
Koehler (9-1) picked up the win after the good start. The junior allowed five runs in 6.2 innings while striking out four. Porter recorded his first save of the year after 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
 
Salisbury was 3-for-4 for UNCP with a RBI.
 
Columbus State and UNC Pembroke will meet on Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans are asked to arrive to the game early for a pregame ceremony for Alumni Day.