COLUMBUS - The ninth-ranked Columbus State University baseball team scored two runs in the seventh and added another in the eighth to grab a 6-4 win over Lander University in the middle game of a three-game Peach Belt Conference series at Burger King Stadium on Friday night.

The Cougars (33-6, 17-3 PBC) played with the lead for the majority of the night after plating three runs in the third. Nick Foray kept CSU hitless over the first two frames, but the Cougars got to the southpaw in their third at-bat. 

An error allowed Mason Davis to reach base to begin the inning before Connor Kirley sacrificed him into scoring position. The extra 90 feet would wind up not mattering as Isaac Bouton launched a two-run homer to left to give CSU a 2-1 lead. 

Colby Brabston followed the homer with a double, while a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases for David Meadows. The senior capitalized on the scoring chance, singling to left field for another Cougar run. Lander escaped without any more harm after left fielder Vinny DeRubeis capped off a double play by throwing out a runner at the plate.

Cougar starter Noah Windhorst settled into the game in the fourth after a perfect inning, and then pitched around an error and a hit batter in the fifth to strand two Bearcats.

However, Lander () struck for a run in the sixth to inch closer. Windhorst didn't make it easy on himself after walking Connor Droze to begin the inning, but a fielding error and a single made matters worse as LU loaded the bases with no outs. Things continued to spiral for the Cougars, with Bradly Davis forcing home a run after being hit by a pitch to continue the Lander rally.

Windhorst stayed on the hill to face pinch hitter Justin Wager, who popped up the first pitch he saw. Riding the momentum, Windhorst induced an inning-ending double-play during the next at-bat to keep Columbus State on top 3-2.

After the Cougars stranded two in the sixth, the Bearcats completed its comeback effort by tying the game in the seventh. LU did its damage with two outs as DeRubeis drew a full-count walk to extend the inning for Cougar reliever Zack Brockman. Brockman hit Droze during the next at-bat before Ian Jenkins made the free passes hurt. Jenkins poked an opposite-field single into right to tie the game at three.

The game didn't stay tied for long as the Cougars quickly went back to work at the plate in the bottom of the seventh. CSU didn't have to do much to load the bases as two hit batters and a walk filled the base paths for Derek Wylie with one out. The slugger did hit job, lofting a flyball into center to give Columbus State a 4-3 lead on the sacrifice fly.

Mason Davis followed with a clutch single into left to give CSU a two-run lead.

Bouton added more cushion to CSU's lead in the eighth, thanks to his second homer of the game. 

Lander made things interesting in the ninth against Cougar closer Logan Seehafer. Landon Dupert made it a 6-4 game with one swing of the bat, lining a homer over the right-centerfield wall before LU got two free baserunners when Seehafer plunked DeRubeis and Droze to bring the tying run to the go-ahead run to the plate. 

Jenkins nearly came up with another key hit in the at-bat, sending a liner up the middle. However, Bouton made a leaping catch before flipping to second for the game-ending double play.

"We didn't make it easy on ourselves, but the win is what counts," stated head coach Greg Appleton. "We have to do a better job of limiting the free bases and make the sure plays in the field. It will be nice to grab a win tomorrow to close out a sweep."

Bouton (2-for-4, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs), Meadows (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) and Kirley (2-for-3, 2B) all had two hits for the Cougars.

Windhorst tossed six innings on Saturday, allowing two unearned runs on two hits. He issued four walks and hit two batters while punching out four. Brockman (3-0) picked up the win, with Seehafer grabbing his fourth save of the season. Peyton Burton bridged the gap between the two with a perfect eighth.

Forway had a solid start for the Bearcats, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits. He struck out five. Tyler Bowen (0-1) was hit with the loss.

UP NEXT
The Cougars look for the sweep on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Burger King Stadium.

GAME NOTES
• Columbus State has homered in 16 straight games 
• The win secures Columbus State's 10th straight series win at home dating back to the 2019 season
• Bouton is 5-for-9 with three homers and five RBIs in the series so far. He carries a five-game hitting streak into Saturday
• It was the sophomore's second multi-homer game in his career. He hit three in a game last season against Georgia Southwestern University.
• Ten batters were hit by a pitch between the two pitching staffs, including CSU's hitting a season-high five batters. Nine others were issued free passes
• Brooks' 11-game hitting streak was snapped. However, the graduate senior's on-base streak remains alive at 13
• It was the first time in five games Columbus State didn't record double-digit hits. CSU had nine in the win