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By: Josh Fuller

FLORENCE, S.C. – For the second consecutive day, the fifth-ranked and top-seeded Columbus State University baseball team got an outstanding pitching performance as the Cougars defeated fourth-seeded Georgia College 4-3 Saturday in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. The tournament is being held at Sparrow Stadium in Florence, S.C.
 
Making his first start of the year against a PBC opponent, junior Luke Porter (6-0) tossed a complete game for the Cougars. Porter limited Georgia College to just five hits while striking out three in just his fifth start of the year.
 
With the win, the Cougars (41-12) will advance to the PBC Championship game after winning Pool A with a 2-1 record. The pool finished in a three-way tie with CSU, GC and North Georgia all having 2-1 records. However, CSU advanced to the championship due to being the highest seed. Columbus State will take on sixth-ranked and second-seeded Lander on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
"Just another gritty performance by this team," said head coach Greg Appleton. "This team never takes no for an answer and a different player has stepped up in each game for us. Luke just kept pounding the strike zone and was in a rhythm the entire game.
 
"We are excited to be playing for the title tomorrow and we just have to keep our energy level up against a very talented Lander team."
 
The Cougars got on the board first in the second thanks to some nifty hitting. Blake Edwards began the inning off with a bunt single down the third base line before Matt Nettles followed with a hard hit single to center. After a bunt put runners on the corners with one out, the Cougars called a safety squeeze with Hunter Bowling at the plate. Bowling executed the bunt perfectly and nearly beat it out for a hit to put the Cougars up 1-0.
 
CSU added on an inning later as Ryan Ihle got things started with a one-out triple to deep left-centerfield. The Cougars were able to load the bases with two outs without another hit as Mike McClellan and Edwards both drew walks to bring Nettles to the plate. Nettles would then watch four pitches go outside the zone to put the Cougars up 2-0.
 
However, GC starter Charlie Hecht got out of the inning without any further damage.
 
Georgia College (33-12) finally broke through off of Porter in the fifth. Tanner Giesel lined a single to center to begin the inning while Wesley Wommack legged out an infield single to put two on with no outs. After a sacrifice bunt, Garrett Green singled to right to put the Bobcats on the board.
 
With runners on the corners and just one out, Logan Mattix just beat out a double play attempt to tie the game at two on the fielder's choice.
 
It didn't take long for the Cougars to respond though as CSU scored two in their half of the fifth. With one out and McClellan on first, Christian Miller lined a double down the left field line into the corner to put two into scoring position. Edwards followed and continued his good day, blooping a single just out of the reach of the centerfielder's glove to put the Cougars on top 3-2.
 
Nettles added another run on a sacrifice fly later in the inning.
 
Porter looked to get stronger later in the game continuing to keep the GC hitters off balance. The junior pitched a perfect sixth and faced the minimum in the seventh after inducing a double play. In the eighth, Porter needed just seven pitches to retire the side.
 
Georgia College didn't go quietly in the ninth as Porter issued two walks to put the tying runs on base. Down to their final outs, the Bobcats got a RBI single from Wommack to make it a 4-3 game and advanced the tying run to second. However, Porter got a grounder to third to end the threat and the game.
 
Ihle (2-for-4), Miller (2-for-4) and Edwards (2-for-3) all had multi-hit days for the Cougars. Ihle extended his hitting streak to 21 games with the two hits while Nettles was 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
 
Hecht (7-3) took the loss for GC after allowing four runs in five innings.
 
Giesel was 2-for-2 with a run scored for the Bobcats.