COLUMBUS - The No. 12 Columbus State University baseball team bashed its way to a Sunday doubleheader sweep of Spring Hill College on Sunday at Burger King Stadium in Columbus.
The Cougars (6-1) took the opener 16-4 before taking the nightcap 11-6 to grab the series win.
"These were two great wins," commented head coach
Greg Appleton. "We needed to bounce back from yesterday, and I loved seeing the fight they had after falling behind early in game one."
Game One | CSU 16-4
It wasn't the start Columbus State was looking for in game one as Spring Hill (4-2) struck for four runs in the top of the first off of CSU starter
Noah Windhorst. With two on and one out, back-to-back doubles quickly made it a 3-0 before Cade Simpson collected the Badgers' third two-bagger of the inning to plate the fourth run of the inning.
Columbus State (6-1) responded though in their half of the first.
Isaac Bouton led off the frame with a single to center before
Robert Brooks beat the wind to hit a two-run homer to right-centerfield. Two batters later,
Derek Wylie launched a solo shot high off of the right-centerfield netting at Burger King Stadium to cut the lead to 4-3.
After Windhorst worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second, the Cougars struck for three more.
Connor Kirley got the rally going by working a two-out walk before Bouton put runners on the corners for Brabston with his second single of the day. Brabston laced a double down the first baseline to score one, while Brooks followed with a two-run single to put CSU on top 6-4.
The scoring barrage continued in the third as CSU quickly made it 10-4. The Cougars only managed two hits in the inning, while four runs scored via a hit by pitch, a fielder's choice, a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch.
Kirley made it 12-4 in the fourth thanks to a two-run double before another wild pitch pushed the Cougar margin to 13-4. Bouton picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to cap off CSU's second straight four-run inning.
Columbus State closed the scoring in the sixth to pick up the 16-4 mercy-rule victory. Bouton grabbed CSU's lone hit in the inning to finish off his 3-for-4 performance at the plate. The sophomore drove in two while scoring four times.
Windhorst (2-0) recorded the win for the Cougars, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits over five innings.
Logan Seehafer finished the game by throwing two scoreless innings.
Brooks (2-for-3) drove in five for the Cougars, while Kirley had three RBIs.
Grant Akridge was 3-for-4 for the Badgers.
Game Two | CSU 11-6
Columbus State jumped on Spring Hill early in game two by scoring two runs in the second and then five in the third.
The Cougar second started with a two-base error before
Seth Nelson hit a double down the right-field line to put two in scoring position for the bottom part of the order. After a wild pitch scored Wylie for the first run of the game,
Matthew McDade lofted a sacrifice fly to right to put Columbus State ahead 2-0.
Colton Joyner put together a shutdown inning for CSU on the mound in the third before the Cougar offense went back to work. Three straight hits started the inning, including an RBI single from Brooks. After a fielder's choice made it 4-0, Wylie laced a double into left field to add to CSU's lead before RBI singles from
Win Johns and Kirley upped the lead to 7-0.
The Cougars grabbed an 11-1 lead in the fourth with four more runs following a single run by SPC in their half of the inning. Wylie and McDade both picked additional RBIs in the inning, while
Seth Nelson hit his second two-run home run of the series.
The Badgers scored some late runs to make the final score more respectable. Two SHC runners scored on wild pitches in the sixth, while a two-run by Micah Morgan in the seventh made it 11-6.
Joyner (1-0) earned the win after allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits through five innings. The sophomore struck out four.
Nelson was 3-for-4 with three runs scored to go along with his two-run homer. Brooks (2-for-3, RBI) and Johns (2-for-4, RBI) both had multi-hit games for the Cougars.
Morgan was 2-for-2 with three RBIs for the Badgers
UP NEXT
Columbus State will close out its first homestand of the season on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. with a midweek tilt against Tuskegee University.
COUGAR NOTES
• The Cougars have scored 10 or more runs in five of their first seven games this season. CSU has scored 91 runs so far on the year
• Nelson ended the series 6-for-12 with two homers and four RBIs. The sophomore has hit safely in each of his last four games
• The win in game two was Joyner's first collegiate win.
• The Cougars have won 12 straight series at Burger King Stadium
• Columbus State had 12 extra-base hits in the series, including nine on Sunday.
