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By: Josh Fuller

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University baseball team scored four runs in the third and fourth innings propelling the Cougars to an 11-7 victory over Montevallo Friday. The Peach Belt Conference game took place at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.
 
It is the fourth straight game that the Cougars have scored double-digit runs and the fifth time in the past six contests. Overall, it is the 17th time this year that CSU has surpassed the 10-run mark.
 
"I thought this was a great way to start the series," commented head coach Greg Appleton. "We could have easily folded early when they scored three runs, but give Brandon [Koehler] credit for battling through and keeping us in the game without his best stuff tonight."
 
Montevallo (20-20, 12-10 PBC) struck first getting three runs in the second. The Falcons got some help from Brandon Koehler to begin the inning as he hit a batter and walked another to put two runners on. After a balk, Jacob Whiting singled through the left side of the infield to plate the opening run. UM would then put on the suicide squeeze as J.D. Minor laid down a perfect bunt to score another to put the Falcons up 2-0. Dane Hutcheon capped off the inning's scoring with a RBI single.
 
CSU didn't waste any time responding though as the Cougars scored four runs in the third. Tyler Fichter led things off with Columbus State's first hit of the day as he found a hole through the infield. Jackson Oliver immediately followed driving a double into the right-centerfield gap and a slight bobble on the relay allowed Ficther to scamper around the bases. Following the double, Ryan Ihle legged out an infield single and Mike McClellan drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases.
 
Needing a big hit, Christian Miller came through sending the first pitch he saw right back up the middle to tie the game at three. After a fly out, Matt Nettles gave CSU the lead with a sacrifice fly.
 
Columbus State (28-10, 13-6) added four more in the fourth to hold a comfortable lead. With just one down, Ihle found runners on second and third and continued to swing the bat well. The senior poked a single to right-center to drive in two and put the Cougars up 6-3. McClellan followed with his 41st career home run to the opposite field to tack on two more for CSU.
 
With the homer, McClellan moved into third place alone on the all-time Columbus State home run list.
 
Montevallo was able to get three more runs off of Koehler in the fifth thanks to the long ball. Taylor Walker had a two-run shot to left before Dominic DeVille hit a two-out solo homer to make it an 8-6 ballgame.
 
The Falcons made things interesting in the sixth as Chaz Wilson found himself in a bases loaded jam with just one-out. Wilson battled back to get the second out of the inning, but issued a walk to Walker to force a run in. However, things could have been worse as Wilson fanned Pardo to leave the bases loaded.
 
Columbus State answered in its half of the sixth scoring three more runs to put the game away. After McClellan was hit by a pitch, Miller and Edwards followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases for Nettles. Nettles would fly a ball to short left field, but the ball was lost in the twilight and landed safely in the grass giving Nettles a RBI single.
 
Bowling capped off the game's scoring with a sharp two-run single to right.
 
Kolton Ingram would put up zeroes in the seventh and eighth for the Cougars before Robert Hayes pitched a scoreless ninth.
 
Fichter was 3-for-4 for the Cougars with two runs scored. Ihle (2-for-5), Miller (2-for-5) and Edwards (2-for-5) all had multi-hit days. Five Cougar players had two RBIs.
 
Koehler won his PBC leading eighth game on Friday after tossing five innings. He allowed six runs on six hits while striking out three. Ingram struck out two in his two-inning appearance.
 
Whiting was 3-for-5 with two runs scored for Montevallo. Walker was 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
 
Aron McRee (5-2) took the loss for Montevallo on the hill. The starter only lasted four innings while allowing eight runs (seven earned).
 
Columbus State and Montevallo will be back at it again tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Burger King Stadium.