COLUMBUS - Isaac Bouton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to give the No. 9 Columbus State University baseball team a 7-6 walkoff victory over No. 25 University of West Georgia on Wednesday. The non-conference game took place at Ragsdale Field at Burger King Stadium.

The 10th inning was full of action even though neither side recorded a hit. Cougar closer Brady Kais put himself in a major jam by walking Cody Mish to begin the top half of the inning before a failed pickoff attempt put the go-ahead runner on third with no outs. Kais would then become unhittable as the senior struck out a pair and forced a grounder to escape trouble.

The West Georgia (7-9) bullpen wouldn't help itself either in the bottom of the 10th. Jenson Barker began on the hill and lasted just one pitch as he plunked Will Willbanks to put the winning run on. Robert Coleman was called upon next for the Wolves, and he would struggle with his command as well. After Matthew McDade advanced pinch runner Hunter Woodall to second with a sacrifice bunt, Connor Kirley drew a walk before UWG intentionally put on David Meadows to load the bases for a double play opportunity.

West Georgia's infield would never get the chance though, as Bouton was hit by the first pitch he saw to send CSU to its fourth straight victory.

Columbus State had to rally late on multiple occasions to force extras after entering the seventh down 5-1. The Cougars got three back in the inning to close the gap as Willbanks hit a no-doubt solo homer to right. Later in the inning, Kirley extended the inning with a two-out bunt single, while Meadows followed with a double down the left-field line to bring up Bouton. The second-year freshman continued his torrid start to the year, banging a double off the right-centerfield wall to make it 5-4.

Senior Dane Bullock didn't waste any time in the eighth tying the game at five on a towering solo home run that bounced off of the Cunningham Center in dead away centerfield. 

Jason Fointno put the pressure on the Cougar defense in the ninth following a leadoff single. UWG played small ball, advancing Fointno to second on a sacrifice bunt before the speedster took things into his own hands. During the next at-bat, Fointno stole third and scored after the throw ended in left field. 

The cardiac Cougars would rally once again in the ninth. Bouton began things with his second double in as many at-bats, while Robert Brooks found a hole through the left side of the infield. With runners on the corners and one out, the Wolves nearly escaped with the win after Steven Minter hit a grounder to short. UWG attempted to turn a game-ending double play, but a hustling Minter beat the throw to first allowing Bouton to tie the game.

"There were some critical moments late tonight, and the guys came through at the right time," commented head coach Greg Appleton. "It was a great team win in an important game. We don't have many chances this year to matchup with other conferences, and winning these games could play a role down the road."

Columbus State (7-2) was down 1-0 in the fourth when Brooks tied the game with his fifth home run of the year, but things turned worse in the fifth. The Wolves loaded the bases with two walks and a single before Russell Forthofer lost his control. The Cougar reliever hit two batters to force in runs while a fielder's choice added another one. A sacrifice fly scored the fourth run of the frame making it 5-1.

The Cougar bullpen would slam the door shut from there until the ninth. Dalton Bradford (2.2 IP, 1 K) and Zack Brockman (2 IP, 1 R) combined to throw 4.2 innings, surrendering one unearned run to keep UWG at bay. Kais (1-1) earned the win after wiggling out of the 10th inning jam.

Jake Hershman started for Columbus State. In his first start as a Cougar, he allowed three runs over 4.1 innings. The righty struck out four while walking three. 

Five CSU players ended the night with two hits, including the first four hitters in the lineup. Bouton had two doubles while driving in three. Kirley reached base four times after going 2-for-3 with two walks.

Lane Griffith was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, while Dan Oberst was 2-for-3 and walked twice. 

UP NEXT
Columbus State will dip back into Peach Belt Conference play this weekend as USC Aiken heads to Burger King Stadium. The series will start with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 13, beginning at 2 p.m. 

COUGAR NOTES
• Columbus State extended its home winning streak to 12 games. The streak has lasted over a calendar year with CSU's last home loss coming on Feb. 16, 2020. 
• CSU has collected 10 or more hits in five straight games after banging out 12 on Wednesday. The Cougars have also hit three doubles in each of the last three games.
• It's the second game this season that Columbus State has hit three or more homers. CSU hit four on opening day against Flagler College.
• Brooks is one of eight players in the PBC with five or more home runs this season. All five have come with no one on base.
• Columbus State now has 15 home runs this season. Twelve of the 15 have been solo shots. 
• Bullock and Minter each extended their hitting streaks on Wednesday. Bullock has now hit in 14 straight, while Minter upped his to seven. Bullock has hit a homer in back-to-back games.
• Bouton's on-base streak reached 20 following his 2-for-5 day at the plate. 
• Brockman hasn't allowed a run in his first five innings as a Cougar. 

Tweet #GoCSU