Like Columbus State Athletics on Facebook!
Tweet #GoCSU

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Columbus State University baseball team opened up Peach Belt Conference play with an 8-0 victory at Augusta on Friday night.
 
Kolton Ingram (4-0) was lights out on the mound, striking out 15 hitters in a three-hit shutout.
 
"Kolton was excellent tonight," head coach Greg Appleton said. "He was in command all night long and
 
Columbus State (12-2, 1-0 PBC) found the only run it would need on the night in the top of the first inning. Justin Evans opened the game with a second, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. A second wild pitch allowed Evans to scamper across the plate for the early lead.
 
From there, Ingram went to work. The junior allowed a leadoff single in the first and didn't allow another hit until the eighth inning. Ingram struck out a pair in the first and sixth innings, and then struck out the side in order in the seventh.
 
The Cougar offense finally added some insurance in the seventh inning behind some help from the Jaguars. Two walks and a hit batter loaded up the bases and Garrett Kirkwood worked another walk to force a run across the plate.
 
Robert Brooks then came through for the Cougars with two outs, singling into centerfield to bring a pair of runs to the plate.
 
Columbus State kept adding on in the ninth. Brooks had another RBI single and Austin Pharr put the exclamation point on the night with a three-run home run, his sixth of the season.
 
Ingram picked up two more strikeouts in the ninth inning as he finished off a sixth straight victory for the Cougars.
 
Kirkwood and Brooks each had 2-for-4 nights to lead the Cougar offense, with Brooks and Pharr each driving in three.
 
Columbus State and Augusta will play game two of the series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.