Box Score PEMBROKE, N.C. - The fourth-seeded Columbus State University baseball team scored four runs in the eighth to claim a 14-10 win over 22nd-ranked and top-seeded UNC Pembroke on Sunday to secure a spot in next weekend's Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship series.

After UNCP (29-13) tied the game at 10 in the seventh, the Cougar bats exploded, with Steven Minter getting things started with a leadoff single. Following a groundout that advanced him to second, Dane Bullock put CSU back on top with a single to center. Connor Kirley later added to the lead thanks to a two-out, two-run triple before later coming around to score the fourth run of the inning on a throwing error.

Cougar reliever Brady Kais slammed the door shut on the PBC regular-season champions, throwing two scoreless innings to send Columbus State to the championship series.

"I'm super proud of these guys," added head coach Greg Appleton. "This was no easy task coming up here on back-to-back weekends, but they found the way to get the job done. We haven't accomplished our goals yet, so there is still plenty of work to do."

The Cougars will now head to Dahlonega, Ga. to face off with 25th-ranked and second-seeded University of North Georgia in the PBC Championship series. UNG took two-of-three from third-seeded Young Harris College in the other semifinal matchup to earn its way to the final.

Columbus State (27-14) scored early and often on Sunday as the Cougars scored a run in each of the first two innings. In the first, a UNCP error extended the frame to bring up David Meadows with two runners on. The junior deliver the early clutch hit, singling up the middle to give CSU the lead. It was just one swing of the bat in the second that made it 2-0 as Matthew McDade pulled a homer to left field. 

The bottom of the third didn't start well for the Cougars with Wellington Guzman reaching on an error to lead off the inning before back-to-back singles platted the first run of the game for the Braves. River Ryan put UNCP on top with its third straight hit, slamming a three-run homer off of Cougar starter Devin Dudal.  

Like they have done all year, the Cougars quickly responded. In the fourth, McDade was at it again, this time slamming a three-run blast to right field to put CSU back ahead 5-4. Two singles from Kirley and Isaac Bouton set up another run for the Cougars as Robert Brooks capped off the four-run frame with a single into left field. 

The bottom of the lineup kept doing damage to the UNCP pitching staff in the fifth. After Meadows walked and stole second, Will Wilbanks slapped a double before Kirley got in all the long ball action. The junior hit a two-run shot for his first home run of the season to give Columbus State a 9-4 lead. 

UNC Pembroke got a run back in the fifth but the lead was pushed right back to five in the sixth on Brooks' leadoff homer. It was the 20th of the season for the junior as the catcher became the fifth CSU player to hit 20 or more homers in a season. 

Things became tight in the seventh when the Braves rallied to tie the game at 10. CSU's defense didn't help out Noah Windhorst in the inning as two errors helped contribute to the five-run frame. Trevor Clemons had the game-tying hit, a two-out RBI single to center. 

That led to the dramatic eighth as the cardiac Cougars had their four-run outburst to secure the win. 

Every Columbus State starter had a hit, including Kirley who had a four-hit day at the plate. The centerfielder drove in four thanks to his triple and homer. McDade also knocked in four after his first multi-homer day of the season. Minter was 3-for-6 for the Cougars. 

Dudal pitched well in his six-inning outing but didn't factor into the decision. He allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits, while striking out three. Miles Dutton (3-0) earned the win after helping CSU escape the seventh-inning jam. Kais had four strikeouts in his two hitless innings. 

The Cougars will be searching for their fifth PBC Tournament title next weekend and the first since 2016. 

UP NEXT
Columbus State and North Georgia will play a best-of-three series to decide the 2021 PBC Tournament championship in Dahlonega, Ga. The series is tentatively scheduled to begin on Saturday, May 15, with official game times being released from the conference on Monday.