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By: Stephen Williams

FLORENCE, S.C. – The Columbus State University baseball team picked up an 8-2 victory Saturday at Francis Marion in game two of the weekend series. The Peach Belt Conference contest was played at Sparrow Stadium.
 
Columbus State (27-17, 14-9 PBC) sealed up a series victory for the Cougars, who will have a chance to go for the sweep on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
"We got another great pitching performance today," head coach Greg Appleton said. "Brandon threw the ball well and our offense came through with hits when we needed them."
 
Francis Marion (29-18, 9-14) jumped on the board first with a run in the bottom of the first inning, but the CSU offense took over from there. The Cougars would score eight unanswered runs over the next eight innings.
 
Turner Vincent kicked off his stellar day at the plate with a two-run home run in the second inning that vaulted the Cougars into the lead. He then added to it in the second, rocketing a hot shot off the glove of the first baseman with runners on the corners to extend the lead to 3-1.
 
CSU added two more in the seventh, getting a RBI triple from Tyler Fichter that scored Landon Cooper and Justin Evans brought Fichter home with a sacrifice fly.
 
While Brandon Koehler was rolling on the mound, the Cougar offense added three more insurance runs in the ninth.
 
Fichter singled home Grant Berry and Mason McClellan then launched his 16^th home run to cap the offensive day.
 
Koehler (5-2) handled the rest, allowing two runs (one earned) in the complete game effort. The senior allowed nine hits and struck out seven.
 
Berry, Fichter and Vincent all had two hits in the win. Vincent drove in three and reached four times.