AMERICUS, Ga. - A three-run home run by Robert Brooks broke a 3-3 tie and helped the sixth-ranked Columbus State University baseball team to an 8-5 win over Georgia Southwestern University on Friday night to open a three-game Peach Belt Conference series at Hurricane Stadium.

After GSW rallied to tie the game at three in the fourth, Brooks sent a monster shot over the centerfield fence to put the Cougars (27-5, 11-2 PBC) on top 6-3. It was the graduate senior's team-leading 11th homer of the year. 

CSU added another run in the frame on a David Meadows double to help Devin Dual to his seventh victory after a brilliant start.

The righty punched out a career-high 14 hitters over six innings. He allowed just one earned run on four hits.

"Devin was nearly unhittable tonight," commented head coach Greg Appleton. "I'm glad the guys could put together the rally in the seventh for us to put one in the win column."

A Matthew McDade single and an Isaac Bouton walk got the rally started in the seventh before Brooks' homer. Bouton played a role in CSU's three-run third as well, knocking in a pair of runs on a single. 

Dudal cruised into the third when GSW scored two runs on two hits and an error. Anthony Angelino had an RBI hit in the frame.

The Hurricanes evened things in the fourth on a Matthew Mamatas single. However, Dudal stranded the bases loaded after getting Tyler Skelton to fly out to center.

After Dudal recorded six strikeouts in the fifth and sixth, CSU went in front in the seventh for the win.

Colby Brabston added an insurance run with a solo homer in the ninth. GSW got two back in the ninth, including one on a pinch-hit triple by Brice Mortillaro.  

Austin Elliott (1 IP) and Logan Seehafer (2 IP, 2 ER) closed out the game from the bullpen.

Brooks (2-for-5), Minter (2-for-4, RBI) and Meadows (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) all had two hits for the Cougars.

UP NEXT
Columbus State and Georgia Southwestern play the middle game of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• Brooks is now tied with Andres Peres (U. of North Georgia 2017-21) for third all-time in PBC history with 56 career home runs
• The 14 strikeouts by Dudal were the most by a Cougar since Kolton Ingram punched out 15 against Lander University on March 18, 2018
• Dudal is 5-0 with a 2.93 ERA in PBC play. He has 38 strikeouts in 30.2 innings
• CSU has homered in nine straight games. The Cougars led DII in homers entering the weekend
• Brabston extended his hitting streak to seven games and on-base streak to 15 games on his solo homer  
• Meadows has four straight multi-hit games. He leads CSU in hitting after Friday with a .384 average