ALBANY, Ga. - Albany State rode a strong pitching performance from their starter Aaron Ginn en route to a 5-0 shutout win over the Columbus State University baseball team. The non-conference game took place at Golden Rams Field on Tuesday.
After smacking a double in the second at-bat of the game, the Cougars (5-2) would then make 23 consecutive plate appearances before recording their next hit with two outs in the eighth. Matthew McDade and Connor Kirley both singled in the eighth with two outs, but a strikeout would strand them both to continue to preserve the ASU shutout.
Albany State (5-1) used three pitchers on the night, as Ginn went seven innings giving up just one hit while striking out seven. Their bats used a strong second inning where they plated three runs to jump out to the early lead, one they would never look back on.
Tyler Cadenhead (0-1) went 3.1 innings scattering nine hits with four strikeouts. The senior struck out two batters in the first inning before running into trouble in the second. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases for ASU, but Cadenhead almost worked himself around the jam. Two pop-ups to second base put CSU just one out away from the third, but a double and a single would follow as the Golden Rams put the first runs of the game on the board.
Columbus State managed just three hits on the night, singles by McDade and Kirley and a double from Drake Kirkwood.
The bullpen pitched well for CSU, keeping them within striking distance all game. Nick Watson-Garcia went 2.2 innings allowing just one hit and one run. Nick Adams and Russell Forthofer each went one inning without allowing a hit or run.
Up Next
• Columbus State will begin conference play this upcoming weekend, starting a three-game series against UNC Pembroke on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Ragsdale Field inside Burger King Stadium.
Cougar Trends
• Columbus State lost for just the second time in their last 20 non-conference games.
• The three Cougar hits were the lowest in a game since they mustered just two hits against USC Aiken last March.
• This was the first loss against the Golden Rams since 2012, when CSU fell 5-4 at home to ASU.
• The CSU offense failed to reach double-digit hits for just the second time this season, and the first time they scored less than three runs.
• The Cougar bullpen has given up just one run now in the past ten innings of relief.
• Drew Webb's 10-game hitting streak was snapped on Tuesday.
