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By:
Josh Fuller
COLUMBUS – Four runs were plenty for the Columbus State University baseball team as junior
Caleb Kutsche tossed his sixth complete game of the season allowing the Cougars to grab a 4-1 victory over Auburn Montgomery on Friday. The nonconference game took place at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.
Kutsche (8-1) was masterful in the nine-inning performance allowing just one run on eight hits. The righty walked one while punching out six.
"Caleb has been tremendous all season and it was no different today," said head coach
Greg Appleton. "He pounded the strike zone to get ahead of hitters and that is always key. We still have to get the bats going a little bit to help support our pitchers."
The game flew by in the early innings as each pitcher was in a rhythm. Each team had a couple of base runners, including AUM putting a runner on second with one out in the third. However, Kutsche got a strikeout and a groundball to escape the trouble.
The Cougars got on the board in the fourth as
Justin Evans and
Mason McClellan started the frame with back-to-back singles putting runners on the corners.
Lake Hart took advantage of the opportunity skying a ball to the outfield for the sacrifice fly.
An inning later, CSU added two more to take a comfortable 3-0 lead. After
Drew Webb walked and was caught stealing,
Grant Berry worked a 3-2 count before earning a walk to get on.
Gunar Drinnen followed with a single of his own to set up another first and third situation.
Tyler Fichter followed putting the ball in play to chase home another Cougar run. Â Evans capped off the scoring with a single to right pushing the lead to 3-0.
CSU plated another run in the eighth after Webb just reached base safely on a fielder's choice groundball that was almost a double play to end the inning.
That would be all that Kutsche needed as the junior continued to roll. The Warhawks managed just two hits between the sixth and eighth innings before Kutsche got into some trouble in the ninth. The righty issued his first walk of the game while two singles, including an infield single to short, allowed AUM's only run of the game to cross the plate.
Evans was 2-for-3 in the game with a RBI and a run scored while
Mason McClellan was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Fichter, Hart and Webb all had one run batted in.
Columbus State and AUM will wrap up the three-game series Saturday afternoon in Montgomery. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
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