COLUMBUS - The 24th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team stormed back from an early 8-3 hole to defeat Young Harris College 16-11 in the rubber match of a three-game Peach Belt Conference series at Burger King Stadium on Monday.

The Cougars (23-11, 18-11 PBC) used their favorite weapon as Steven Minter and Matthew McDade both launched two home runs to help power CSU to the win. 

"This was another great team win," added Columbus State head coach Greg Appleton. "We knew when we got down early that we still had a shot, so give credit to the guys for battling and finding a way to win a crucial game."

It wasn't a great start for the Cougars and starter Jamie Boatright as Young Harris jumped on them early. T.J. Byrd hit a leadoff homer before Dahlton Cash made it two homers in the first three at-bats with a two-run shot to right. 

After YHC (19-16, 17-13) scored another run in the second, the Cougars had strung together some two-out magic. With the bases empty, Dane Bullock laced a single to right before Will Wilbanks was plunked with a pitch to bring McDade to the plate. The sophomore blasted the first of his two homers to centerfield to bring CSU within one.

YHC answered the homer with one of its own in the third as Wallace hit a two-run shot to chase Boatright from the game and move in front 6-3.

The Cougars fell in a deeper hole in the fourth. Tucker Greer hit his nation's leading 19th homer of the season to make it 7-3 before a sacrifice fly pushed across another run.

The comeback began in the fourth when the Cougars sent 10 hitters to the plate in a five-run inning. Minter ledoff the frame with a solo blast to left before David Meadows beat out an infield single. After a fielder's choice, the next four hitters reached base, including Connor Kirley who sent a single to center to make it an 8-5 game.

A wild pitch allowed Will Wilbanks to touch the plate and moved the tying run to second for Isaac Bouton. The freshman delivered, tying the game at eight with a single to left. 

After back-to-back 1-2-3 innings from Noah Windhorst on the hill, Columbus State got its second leadoff home run of the day, this time from McDade in the sixth, that put the Cougars in front 9-8.

The Cougars continued to add insurance runs in the seventh and eighth Minter hit his second solo homer of the day in the seventh before Bullock drove in his first run of the day with a sacrifice fly. Columbus State responded in the eighth with another five-run outburst following a single run from Young Harris. Kirley got the party started with a one-out triple and scored during the next at-bat on a Bouton single. 

Three straight walks forced a run in, but the big blow of the inning came when Bullock cleared the bases with a double to put the Cougars in front 16-9.

The Mountain Lions didn't go down quietly in the ninth as two solo home runs forced Windhorst out of the game. However, Zach Brockman got the final two outs to secure the series win.

Windhorst improved to 4-1 after a brilliant performance out of the bullpen. The second-year freshman tossed 6.1 innings, while striking out five in the outing. 

Six Cougars had two-hit days with both Bullock (2-for-4, 2B, SF, 2 runs) and McDade (2-for-3, 3 HRs, 2 runs) driving in four. Minter scored three times to go along with his two homers.

UP NEXT
Columbus State will continue its busy week on Tuesday with a non-conference game against the University of Auburn-Montgomery. First pitch is at 6 p.m. eastern time at the AUM Baseball Complex in Montgomery, Ala. The Cougars will then be in Mobile, Ala. on Wednesday for a game against Spring Hill College at 4 p.m. eastern.

COUGAR NOTES
• Monday was the regular-season home finale for the Cougars. CSU finished the season with a 15-4 record at Burger King Stadium.
• The win secured CSU its 11 straight series win in Columbus. 
• Bullock feasted on the Young Harris pitching staff. The senior was 6-for-12 in the three-game set with nine RBIs. He had two hits in every game and drove in at least two in all three games. 
• The slugger also extended his hitting streak to 10 games. 
• McDade more than doubled his season total in homers against the Mountain Lions. After starting the series with just two long balls on the year, the second baseman hit three over the final two games of the series.
• McDade has now homered in three of the last four games and is on a eight-game hitting streak.
• It was the third multi-homer game of the year for Minter. The sophomore is second on the team with 12 this season.
• Windhorst set a new career-high in innings pitched on Monday. The 6.1-inning outing was over two innings longer than his previous season-high.