SALISBURY, N.C. - A three-run sixth inning was enough to lift the No. 6 Columbus State University baseball team to a 7-5 victory over Catawba College on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series at Newman Park in Salisbury, N.C. 

The Cougars (9-2) were down 4-3 headed into the sixth when Connor Kirley drew a walk to set the table for the top of the CSU lineup. Isaac Bouton followed with a single before a groundout put two runners into scoring position for Robert Brooks. The graduate senior delivered, sending a single to centerfield to put the Cougars on top 5-4. Later in the inning, CSU forced the hand of the Indians. With runners on the corners, Steven Minter stole second, which resulted in a throwing error by the catcher, allowing Brooks to score the third run of the inning.

CSU's bullpen still had plenty of work to do. In the seventh, Austin Elliot entered the game in a sticky situation with two runners on and no-outs before a double-steal resulted in a CSU throwing error and helping Catawba make it a 6-5 game. Elliot didn't let the developments bug him as he retired the three hitters he faced to preserve the Cougar lead.   

Following a successful first inning of work from Logan Seehafer out of the bullpen for the Cougars in the eighth, Columbus State added an insurance run in the ninth to make it 7-5. CSU played small ball following a Seth Nelson leadoff double as a Matthew McDade sacrifice bunt and a Kirly sacrifice fly pushed across the seventh run of the game.

Seehafer stayed in the game in the bottom of the ninth but made things difficult for himself following a leadoff walk and a hit batter to put the tying run on the basepaths.  The lefty wiggled himself out of trouble though, getting a lineout, a grounder and a flyout to the warning track to pick up his first save of the season. 

"This is one of the most intense early-season games you are going to have," said head coach Greg Appleton. "When you are going for a series win on the road, you need to close it out and that's what the guys did out there tonight. Give credit to our bullpen for slamming the door shut."

Columbus State's bullpen was busy early as starter Colton Joyner didn't make it through four full innings. Zach Brockman (1-0) picked up the win after halting Catawba's attack in the fourth. The senior picked up the final out of the fourth with two runners on before going on to throw two more scoreless innings.

CSU was the first to go in front on Sunday. Brooks wasted no time, jumping on a pitch from Ben Gilks for a two-run homer in the top of the first. It was the catcher's 50th career home run in a Cougar uniform.

That would be Columbus State's lone runs until the fifth when Colby Brabston got in on the long ball action. The lefty pulled a homer over the right-centerfield wall to make it a 4-3 Catawba lead, setting up the rally in the sixth for the Cougars. 

The first four hitters in the Cougar lineup (Bouton, Brabston, Brooks, Minter) all had two hits, while Nelson also finished the day with a 2-for-5 performance. Brooks picked up four more RBIs for CSU.

Seven different pitchers saw action for Catawba. Zack Miller was 2-for-4 for the Indians with three RBIs after hitting a two-run homer in the second and an RBI single in the fourth.  

UP NEXT
Columbus State will play a midweek game at Auburn University at Montgomery on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. 

COUGAR NOTES
 • Brooks becomes just the second Cougar to reach the 50-career home run mark and the sixth player in Peach Belt Conference history. The Marietta, Ga. native is one way from tying Aaron Fera of Georgia College for fifth all-time in PBC history.
• The 2.1-inning appearance by Brockman was a CSU career-high for the righty. He also improved to 3-0 all-time in a Cougar uniform
• Nelson upped his hitting streak to eight games. He is leading the Cougars in hitting with a. 387 average 
• CSU is now 17-for-19 in stolen base attempts this season. Kirley is a perfect 8-for-8 after picking up another swipe on Sunday
• Columbus State leaves North Carolina with a 5-2 all-time record against Catawba after taking the first-ever three-game series between the two Southeast Region powerhouses