St. Augustine, Fla. - The No. 9 Columbus State University baseball team rallied in both games of a Saturday doubleheader to sweep Flagler College to begin the 2021 season. The Peach Belt Conference games took place at Drysdale Field.

After rain forced the cancellation of Friday's game, the Cougars scored six of the final seven runs of game one to grab a 6-5 win. In the nightcap, runs in the eighth and ninth lifted CSU to a 6-4 victory.

"This is a great way to start the season," commented Cougar head coach Greg Appleton. "Finding ways to win on the road is difficult in this league, so I give our guys a lot of credit for scrapping out these wins."

Game One - (CSU 6-5)

Columbus State (2-0, 2-0 PBC) found itself down early in game one after Flagler put up a four-spot in the third. The first four Saints hitters reached base to begin the frame thanks to three singles and a walk that allowed the first two runs of the game to score. A fielder's choice made it 3-0 before a Cougar throwing error added on another run. CSU starter Jalen Latta was able to limit the damage after inducing a double play.

CSU didn't waste any time cutting into the deficit. In the fourth, a one-out single by Dane Bullock brought Colby Brabston to the plate. The second-year freshman laced a double into the left-centerfield gap to score Bullock. Later in the frame, Brabston crossed the plate on a Steven Minter groundout.

The momentum flipped to the Cougar dugout in the sixth as Robert Brooks launched an opposite-field homer to lead off the frame. It was Minter again a few batters later driving home Brabston, this time with a double to tie the game. 

Following a Flagler pitching change, Matthew McDade put the Cougars on top with a sharp single to left. Two wild pitches and a passed ball helped CSU make it 6-4 before FC recorded the final out of the inning. 

Columbus State reliever Tyler Cadenhead had to work out of a major jam in the sixth. With one out, Cadenhead issued back-to-back walks but got a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. However, a wild pitch allowed a run to score making it a one-run game. Flagler had the tying run on third, but the fifth-year senior got a grounder to escape the jam with the lead intact.

Flagler (0-5, 0-2 PBC) put together another rally in the seventh with a CSU error contributing to the cause. Once again though, Cadenhead stranded a runner on third after a come backer to the mound ended the threat. 

Columbus State failed to add on in the eighth and ninth leaving it to Cougar closer Brady Kais to slam the door shut on the Saints. A single and an error gave Flagler hope with two outs, but Kais got pinch-hitter John Fiorenza to fly out to end the game. 

Bullock and Brabston each went 2-for-3 while Minter drove in a pair. Brabston scored twice and also had an RBI. 

Latta had a no-decision in his first start as the lefty allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks. Cadenhead earned the victory after his 2.1 innings of work. Miles Dutton bridged the gap to Kais and pitched a scoreless inning picking up a pair of strikeouts.

Zach Audet (0-2) took the loss after allowing three runs in relief. 

Adam Mitchell was 3-for-5 with a triple for the Saints.

Game Two - (CSU 6-4)

The Cougars played the long ball in game two, blasting four solo homers to complete the sweep. 

After both teams stranded a pair of runners in the first, Win Johns led the top of the second off with his first collegiate home run over the right field wall to give CSU the early lead.

However, the lead didn't last long as Flagler came right back with four runs of its own. Five hits in the inning, along with a double steal of second and home, gave the Saints a 4-1 lead off of CSU starter Devin Dudal. Jaiden Warde had a two-run single in the frame for FC.

Columbus State continued to play home run derby in the third and fourth. First, it was Brooks who smashed his second opposite-field homer of the day, while Isaac Bouton got in on the action with a solo shot in the fourth. 

The Cougars made it three straight innings with a run in the fifth. David Meadows drew a walk to lead off the frame before moving to second on a groundout. After another out, a crucial throwing error by the Saints extended the inning and allowed Meadows to scamper across the plate to tie the score at four.

Jamie Boatright pitched around two singles in the bottom of the fifth in his second inning of work to keep the game tied. 

In the seventh, the Cougars missed out on a golden opportunity after Flagler's centerfielder lost a ball in the lights allowing Brooks to reach third on a one-out triple. A strikeout and a foul out got Flagler out of the jam.

After Boatright and Noah Windhorst continued to keep the Saints off the board, the Cougars broke the deadlock in the eighth. Will Wilbanks got it all started with a pinch-hit double before a Bouton single put runners on the corners. Brabston would do his job as he skied a fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly to put the Cougars ahead 5-4.

However, it was the defense that stole the show in the bottom of the eighth. FC looked to be in business following a single and walk to open the frame. A fly-out advanced the tying run to third bringing up pinch hitter Ashton Thomas to the plate. Thomas hit a laser to first, but Minter was there to gobble it up before firing it to the plate to gun down Warde to keep the Cougars in front. Windhorst would proceed to get out of the inning on a three-pitch strikeout.

Brooks capped off his monstrous day at the plate in the ninth with his second homer of the game and third of the day to give Columbus State a 6-4 lead.

Windhorst finished off the Saints on just three pitches in the ninth to record the win. The second-year freshman picked up three strikeouts in three scoreless innings of work. 

Dudal allowed four runs in his first start of the year while Boatright tossed three innings in relief. He pitched around three hits in three innings. 

Brooks was 3-for-4 with a triple to go along with his two solo homers. Bouton was 2-for-3. 

Four Saints had a multi-hit game with Warde picking up two RBIs.

Kyle Morton (0-2) was hit with the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) in four innings.

UP NEXT
Columbus State will stay on the road traveling to Greenwood, S.C. to take on Lander University. The three-game set will begin on Saturday, Feb. 27 with a doubleheader at Dolny Stadium. General admission seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for the series. The only individuals guaranteed a seat will be those on the Lander player/coach list.

Cougar Notes
• The series was reduced to just two games following the rainout on Friday. The game will not be made up.
• The Cougars extended their winning streak to 13 games dating back to last season. 
• Columbus State is now 17-7 under Appleton in season-openers. 
• Bouton has now reached base in 13 games dating back to 2020. Brooks and McDade both extended their streaks to 10. 
• In 20 games last season, Brooks had just two homers. The fourth-year catcher now has 26 in his Cougar career. The Marietta, Ga. native was 4-for-8 in the doubleheader.
• Kais hasn't allowed a run in 11.2 innings as a Cougar. 
• The Cougar pitching staff collected 20 strikeouts in the two games. Dudal had seven to lead the way.
• Flagler left nine runners on base in game one and 11 in the nightcap.
• Columbus State has won six in a row over Flagler and now leads the all-time series 22-12.