MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Highlighted by a two-home run inning by
Robert Brooks, the 25th-ranked Columbus State University baseball team scored 16 runs for the second consecutive day en route to a 16-5 seven-inning win over Auburn University-Montgomery on Tuesday.
Brooks helped break the game open in the fourth with a leadoff bomb to begin the inning before adding a three-run blast that made it 15-4.
"Our bats have been hot and that gives everyone a confident booster, including the pitching staff," commented head coach
Greg Appleton. "This was another big win though, especially after falling in an early hole."
It looked like AUM (17-19) would be the team racing to the win after scoring four runs in the bottom of the first off of Cougar starter
Devin Dudal. However, the Cougar bats woke up in the second as
Dane Bullock and
Will Wilbanks began the frame with back-to-back jacks. CSU eventually tied the game in the inning on a Brooks RBI single and a Stephen Minter double.
After a three-run double by
Isaac Bouton put the Cougars ahead 7-4 in the third, Columbus State (24-11) went to work in the fourth. Following Brooks' solo homer, UWG was able to get the first out of the inning before the next six hitters reached base successfully. Wilbanks drove in his second run of the day on a single before eventually coming around to score on a wild pitch that made it a 10-4 game.
Matthew McDade picked up an easy RBI with a bases-loaded walk, while another wild pitch later in the inning upped the margin to 12-4. Brooks capped off the offensive explosion with his second homer of the inning and the 18th of the season over the left field wall.
CSU's final run came on a Bouton sacrifice fly in the sixth.
After a rough first inning,
Devin Dudal settled in to record his first victory of the season, including setting down seven in a row at a point. The righty tossed five innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits. He struck out five.
Nick Watson-Garcia threw the final two innings for the Cougars.
Brooks (3-for-4, 2 HRs, 2 runs) drove in five, while Bouton (2-for-3, 2 2Bs, 2 runs) had four RBIs.
UP NEXT
Columbus State will play its fifth game in four days on Wednesday, traveling to Mobile, Ala. to take on Spring Hill College at 4 p.m.