AUGUSTA, Ga. - The No. 14 Columbus State University baseball team continued its winning ways on the road sweeping a doubleheader against Augusta on Saturday. The Peach Belt Conference series is taking place at Jaguar Field in Augusta, Ga.

After the series schedule was altered due to rain throughout the week, the Cougars took game one 8-0 before a 9-4 win in the nightcap. 

"This was a different type of day," commented head coach Greg Appleton. "This is our first true road series, and to mention the doubleheader on top of things. Saying all of that, I thought the guys handled it well."

"Jalen [Latta] has been lights-out. He has given us a chance to win in every start this season and is becoming one of the top pitchers in the league. In game two, we did a good job of constantly adding runs. You have to do that in our league to be successful."

Game One

A first-inning grand slam by Bryson Horne was plenty for senior starter Jalen Latta. The Columbus native improved to 4-0 after tossing seven innings of one-hit ball while striking out a career-high 12. Seven of the first 10 outs he recorded was via a punch-out. 

The Cougar offense gave Latta plenty of early run support as the first three runners reached to begin the game. Horne quickly changed the situation with a grand slam over the right-field wall to give CSU a 4-0 lead.

The top of the order got things going again in the second as David Meadows picked up his second hit of the day, this time a double down the left-field line. He would come around to score without a Cougar hit thanks to two Augusta errors.

After Latta sat down his ninth straight batter to end the third, Columbus State made it 7-0 in the fourth. With one out, Isaac Bouton and Robert Brooks collected singles before Horne walked to load the bases. Drew Webb delivered with a single into right field to chase home Bouton. Following a pitching change, Dane Bullock drove in the second run of the frame with a sacrifice fly.

Columbus State capped off the game's scoring in the sixth when Will Wilbanks earned a bases-loaded walk.

Every Cougar starter recorded a hit in the game with Brooks (3-for-5, 2B, 3 runs, RBI) leading the way. 

Game Two

It took a little while longer for Columbus State to get the offense going in the second game of the day. After Devin Dudal stranded a pair of Jaguars in the first and second, CSU took a 3-0 lead in the top half of the third. 

Matthew McDade ripped a double down the left-field line before Connor Kirley legged out a bunt for a single. McDade was cut down trying to score on a Meadows' grounder to third, but Bouton would make sure to make Augusta pay. A double into the left-center gap broke the scoreless tie and put two runners in scoring position for the heart of the Cougar order. Brooks walked setting up Horne for his second bases-loaded at-bat of the afternoon. The junior again delivered, singling to left to make it 2-0. A Webb fielder's choice scored Bouton for the third run of the frame.

Augusta finally broke through in the fourth against Dudal. A leadoff single started all the trouble before a Garet Suiter double made it 3-1. Skylor Murphy made matters worse during the next at-bat with a two-run homer to tie things at three.

It didn't stay that way for long though as the first four Cougars hitters reached to begin the fifth. After a Bouton walk and a pitching change, Brooks and Horne had consecutive singles to push CSU back ahead 4-3. Webb walked to reload the bases for Bullock, who would collect his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon to give Columbus State a two-run edge.

Dudal ended his day after the fifth when Augusta tagged him with another run following a two-out double. Dudal (5-0) battled all day to earn his fifth win of the year. The righty allowed four runs on 10 hits while striking out four. 

The Columbus State offense continued to add on in the late innings. In the seventh, a two-run single by McDade opened the lead to 7-4 while back-to-back doubles by Meadows and Bouton in the ninth to give the Cougars the five-run margin of victory.

Five Cougars had two or more hits in the game with Horne (3-for-6), Bouton (2-for-5, 2 2Bs, 2 runs), and McDade (2-for-3, 2B, 2 BBs, run) all driving in two.

CSU's bullpen was outstanding on Saturday. Noah Windhorst (2 IP, 1 K), Miles Dutton (1 IP, 2 K's), and Brady Kais (1 IP, 1 K) all had scoreless appearances.

Up Next

Columbus State will go for its third straight PBC conference sweep on Sunday as the Cougars and Jags close out the three-game set. First pitch is at 1 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

Cougar Notes & Trends

• Columbus State has won nine games in a row and 13 out the last 15.
  In the doubleheader, the Cougars collected 29 hits, including eight doubles. The 15 hits in game two tied a season-high for CSU (vs. Saint Leo, Jan. 31).
• Over his last four starts, Latta has tossed 29 innings allowing just three earned runs. He has 47 strikeouts in 2020, which are the third-most in the PBC. The 12 strikeouts on Saturday are the most by any Cougar pitcher this season.
• Dudal is currently the only pitcher in the PBC with five wins.
• On Saturday, Horne drove in six after a 5-for-10 performance. Brooks was also 5-for-10 with three runs scored and a double. 
• Horne has driven in four runs in three different games this season. The junior has also reached base in 12 consecutive games. 
• Columbus State is off to its best 19-game start since the 2018 season. Through 19 games that year, CSU was 17-2.