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COLUMBUS - The third-ranked Columbus State University baseball team split a doubleheader against West Alabama on Saturday at Burger King Stadium. The Cougars took the opening game 7-1 before the Tigers won the decisive game of the series by the same score.

The win in the first game of the day was a historic mark for CSU head coach Greg Appleton. Including his four seasons at Young Harris College, the 22^nd-year skipper at Columbus State now has 900 career wins in just over 25 seasons. His career mark stands at 900-486.

"Obviously, this is not the start to the year that we had hoped for," said Appleton.  "But, this gave us a good look at our team and we now have a better idea on what to focus on to improve this club." 

Columbus State (1-2) will travel down to Daytona Beach, Fla. next weekend to take on Embry-Riddle in a three-game set. The series will begin on Friday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. while a doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday beginning at noon.

Game One

Columbus State notched its first win of the season in game one on Saturday. 

Jalen Latta picked up the victory for the Cougars after throwing seven shutout innings. The junior allowed five hits while striking out four. Devin Dudal finished up the final two innings allowing only three hits and a run.

After four scoreless frames, Columbus State (1-2) struck first in the fifth inning. Chase Brown sent a single to centerfield and Dane Bullock followed with his first homerun as a Cougar to left center to put CSU on top 2-0.

In the sixth inning, senior Kendall Ford singled to shortstop and advanced to second after a single from freshman Connor Kirley. Ford followed that by scoring on a fielding error with Kirley advancing to second. Grant Berry drove Kirley home on a single to right to make it 3-0. Berry then used his speed stealing second before walks to Frank Wager and Brown loaded the bases.

Bullock reach first on a fielder's choice as UWA gunned Berry out at the plate, leaving the bases loaded with two outs. Drew Webb came through with the big hit for the Cougars doubling down the left field line to extend the lead to 6-0.

West Alabama's lone run came in the eighth off a sacrifice fly.

The final run of the night came after Berry reached on a fielding error from the Tigers. Wager capped off the game's scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field to bring Berry home. 

Game Two

West Alabama wasted no time in the nightcap jumping on CSU starter Tyler Cadenhead in the first with a four-spot. After a sacrifice fly pushed home the game's first run, back-to-back home runs from the Tigers quickly made it 4-0.
 
The Tigers added a single run in the second before Sam Sowerbrower came in to limit the damage in the third. Sowerbrower tossed three scoreless innings until he ran into trouble after his defensive faltered.

A fielding error and a walk started things off for UWA in the sixth. Following a fly out, another error allowed a run to cross the plate to make it a 6-0 game. The Tigers added the final run of the inning thanks to a sacrifice fly.

Columbus State's offense was dormant for the majority of the game. CSU had a scoring chance in the fifth after three singles in the frame. However, a double play helped ease the threat. CSU did get on the board in the seventh with a solo home run from Drew Webb.

Ford (2-for-4) and Bullock (2-for-3) each recorded multi-hit games for the Cougars. Webb was 1-for-3 with the solo homer.

Cadenhead (0-1) took the loss allowing five runs (four earned) on three hits. Sowerbrower allowed two unearned runs in four innings of work. The senior recorded four strikeouts in the relief performance.

Jaylon Keys and Gavin Rogers both went deep in the game for UWA. Keys finished the day 1-for-3 with two RBIs while Rogers was 1-for-2 with two runs scored.
 
Tanner Elders (1-0) scattered eight hits in his six-inning performance. Elders walked just one while punching out four.