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COLUMBUS – The roll continued for the 17^th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team on Saturday, as the Cougars downed 15^th-ranked UNC Pembroke 9-6. The Peach Belt Conference series is being played at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.
 
Columbus State (17-2, 5-0 PBC) ran its winning streak to 11 straight, which is tied for the second-longest in the country.
 
"We saw the depth of this team today," head coach Greg Appleton said. "We got good work out of our bullpen and different players in our lineup stepped up when Mason (McClellan) and Frank (Wager) weren't getting hits."
 
Saturday was a day of answers for the Cougars, as Columbus State scored first and then matched UNC Pembroke run for run.
 
Chase Brown started the scoring for the Cougars with a RBI single in the second inning, but the Braves got the run right back in their half of the third.
 
CSU matched UNCP's run in the bottom half of the third with a little bit of hustle. With the bases loaded and two outs, Austin Pharr rolled a slow groundball to the second baseman and beat the throw to the bag to put the Cougars back in front.
 
Garrett Kirkwood added on with a RBI single in the fourth and came around to score on a groundout by McClellan.
 
UNC Pembroke (13-5, 6-5) got a solo home run in the fifth, but again the Cougars had the response. Grant Berry doubled leading off the CSU half of the inning and later touched the plate on a wild pitch.
 
The Braves knotted the game up at five apiece with a three-run homer in the sixth, however the game would not stay tied for long. Justin Evans singled back through the middle with one out and Kirkwood cleared the wall in right for his third home run of the season to make it 7-5 Cougars.
 
Later in the inning, Berry ripped one through the right side to score Wager and give Columbus State its three-run lead back.
 
Will Hodges gave the Cougars an insurance run with a RBI double in the eighth as the bullpen took care of the rest.
 
Sheridan Coy (1-0) picked up his first win of the year with a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. Jalen Latta grabbed the save with 2.1 innings on the mound.
 
Berry, Hodges and Kirkwood all had three hits for the Cougars. Kirkwood was 3-for-3, reaching base five times with four runs scored and three driven in.
 
Columbus State and UNC Pembroke will wrap up the series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.