ORANGEBURG, S.C. - The No. 25 Columbus State University baseball team split a pair of games with Claflin University on Saturday in a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader at Mirmow Field.

The Cougars (12-7, 10-7 PBC) dropped game one 4-3 before rebounding for a 14-2 victory in the second to take two out of three from the Panthers over the weekend.

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Columbus State travels to Mobile, Ala. for a non-conference tilt against Spring Hill College on Wednesday, March 31. First pitch is at 5 p.m. eastern time at Stan Galle Field..

Game One (CU 4-3)

CSU scored the opening run in the second, but the lead didn't last long. With two on in the bottom of the second, Mackenze Gay smacked a three-run homer to right off of Cougar starter Tyler Cadenhead to put CU ahead 3-1.

Claflin (2-20, 2-20) added another run in the fourth after a throwing error allowed Nicholas Johnson to scamper across the plate. 

The Cougars were able to get one run back in the fifth as Steven Minter blasted a leadoff home to right field to cut the deficit to 4-2. 

From there, the pitching took over. Cadenhead wouldn't allow another hit in his stint, sitting down six of the final seven batters he faced. Noah Windhorst took over and continued to put zeros on the scoreboard. Windhorst tossed two scoreless innings in relief, including picking up three strikeouts.

The only hit over the final three-and-a-half innings for either side came in the eighth on a Dane Bullock solo homer that brought the Cougars within one. CSU put the tying run on base later in the frame, but a double play ended the threat.

The Cougars went down in order in the ninth securing the win for Claflin.

Bullock (2-for-3, HR) had two of CSU's six hits, with Minter (1-for-4, HR) driving in two. 

Cadenhead (2-1) took the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits. The senior struck out a season-high 10. 

Strozier (1-0) picked up the win for the Panthers, while Talmon Hubbard allowed just one run over 4.1 innings to earn the save.

Game Two (CSU 14-2/7 Innings)

Like game one, Columbus State jumped out early with a first-inning run. Isaac Bouton had a one-out double before Robert Brooks placed a single through the right side of the infield to push across the first run of the game.

It was Brooks again in the third for the Cougars. With one out, the junior launched a homer to deadaway center for his 10th long ball of the year. 

After the Panthers got one run back off of CSU starter Jamie Boatright in the bottom of the third, the offense quickly responded. Seth Nelson and Matthew McDade hit back-to-back one-out doubles in the fourth to put the Cougars in front 3-1.

Columbus State put the game to bed in the fifth with a six-run inning. The first four hitters reached in the frame, including a run-scoring single from David Meadows. After Nelson drew a walk to force home another run, Matthew McDade cranked a grand slam to give the Cougars a 9-1 lead. 

The Cougars continued to add on for good measure in the sixth. For the second straight inning, McDade came up with the bases full and delivered. The sophomore lased a double into the right-centerfield gap to clear the bases and put CSU ahead 12-2. 

The final runs came in the seventh on a Meadows two-run double. 

Boatright pitched six-plus innings on Saturday before giving way to Devin Dudal. Dudal retired the only three hitters he faced in the seventh to finish off the seven-inning mercy-rule victory. In the win, Boatright (2-0) allowed two runs on seven hits while recording seven strikeouts.

Five Cougars had a multi-hit day led by McDade's 3-for-3 performance. He had eight RBIs thanks to his three extra-base hits. Meadows (2-for-4, 2B) also drove in three.

Geradric Dobbs and Gay both went 2-for-3 for Claflin.

COUGAR NOTES
• Bouton's on-base streak has reached 30 games. The second-year freshman has a hit in all but three games so far in 2021.
• Meadows has reached base in 15 straight for the Cougars.
• The 10 strikeouts were a career-high for Cadenhead.
• Brooks becomes just the second player in the PBC to reach the 10 home run mark. He is currently tied for the league lead with Andres Perez of the University of North Georgia.
• The eight RBIs from McDade are the most by a PBC player in a single game this season.
• The Cougars have hit two or more homers in five straight games.

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