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By: Josh Fuller

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University baseball team scored five runs in the seventh and eighth innings to break a 3-3 tie as the Cougars defeated Georgia Southwestern 8-3 in the Peach Belt Conference opener for both teams. The game took place at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.
 
Caleb Kutsche (4-0) tossed a complete game for the Cougars allowing just the three runs as he struck out a career high 11.
 
The game also had a 25-minute delay after a power outage struck the stadium.
 
"This was a great way to start conference play," stated head coach Greg Appleton. "We got a great performance on the mound from Caleb and we got some big hits tonight. It was also good to see the guys keep their concentration during the delay."

The win was also the 700th in Appleton's career with the Cougars, the most in program history. 
 
Both starters had their best stuff to begin the game with both sides putting zeros on the board through the first four innings. Both teams had runners on base with the Cougars stranding two in the first after GSW worked out of a jam.
 
After the Cougars left a runner in scoring position in the fourth, Georgia Southwestern (4-8, 0-1 PBC) jumped in front in the fifth. The Hurricanes got a long solo homer to begin the frame to break the scoreless tie.
 
The lead would be short-lived however, as the Cougars struck for three in the bottom of the fifth. Bryce Delevie laced a single back up the middle to start the inning before Tyler Fichter earned a walk. After two outs, Mason McClellan came up with the clutch hit hitting a three-run homer down the left field line.
 
Things became strange in the seventh. The Hurricanes got back-to-back singles to begin the inning and a sacrifice bunt put the tying run on second. After an infield single that made it 3-2, the lights went out over Burger King Stadium causing a 25-minute delay.
 
Following the delay, Kutsche got a strikeout for the second out of the frame, but a single extended the inning and brought the tying run home.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Fichter walked to get things going before moving to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Justin Evans would advance Fichter to third on a bunt, while Turner Vincent reached base on an error to put runners on the corners with just one out.
 
GSW would make a pitching change, but things didn't get better. Mason McClellan and Lake Hart each walked forcing home Fichter to give the Cougars the lead. Miles Cameron made it 5-3 after a sacrifice fly.
 
The Cougars would add three insurance runs in the eighth. Evans rocketed a single through the left side of the infield to plate Patrick McCllelan, while Hart had a two-run single to right.
 
Georgia Southwestern would get a single in the ninth, but a double play and a grounder allowed Kutsche to earn the complete game victory.
 
Hart, Evans and Delevie each recorded multi-hit days. Hart was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Delevie was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Evans finished 2-for-3 with a RBI, two stolen bases while scoring once.
 
Columbus State and Georgia Southwestern will wrap up the series Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.