AMERICUS, Ga. - A two-home run game by Derek Wylie, including a go-ahead shot in the ninth, lifted the sixth-ranked Columbus State University baseball team to a 3-2 win over Georgia Southwestern on Saturday. It was the middle game of a three-game Peach Belt Conference series at Hurricane Stadium in Americus, Ga.

Wylie put the Cougars (28-5, 12-2 PBC) on his back, hitting homers in his final two at-bats. Georgia Southwestern held a 3-2 lead heading into the seventh when Wylie hit a no-doubter to center to lead off the frame.  

After CSU's bullpen continued its good work to send the game into the ninth tied, Wylie did it again. The Warner Robins, Ga. native led off the inning with his ninth homer of the season to put Columbus State ahead for the first time in the game. 

Peyton Burton (3-0) tossed a perfect ninth to ensure Columbus State a series victory. The Cougars took game one on Friday 8-5 behind a 14-strikeout performance by Devin Dudal.

"This was a nice win," stated head coach Greg Appleton. "Derek put on a show late in the game, and he is getting hot for us. Noah [Windorst] kept us in it on the mound, and the bullpen did its job."

Georgia Southwestern (12-19, 8-6) took an early 2-0 in the second. Three doubles in the frame, including a two-out knock by Matthew Mamatas, gave the Hurricanes a two-run lead over Cougar starter Noah Windhorst.

Windhorst settled in though, retiring 11 in a row following Mamatas' double. The righty started the seventh until running into trouble after back-to-back hits. However, Austin Elliott came in and got two flyouts to keep the game tied.

Burton entered in the eighth and pitched a scoreless frame before Wylie's go-ahead homer began the ninth.

The Cougars scored their first run in the fourth after back-to-back singles from Steven Minter and David Meadows began a rally. Win Johns drove in the run on a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 game. 

Starter Nick McCollum pitched well for the Hurricanes, limiting CSU to just two runs (one earned) on seven hits. He stuck out six over 7.2 innings. Brandt Sundean (0-1) took the loss out of the pen. 

Windhorst didn't walk a batter in 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits. The junior struck out three.

Wylie was the lone Cougar to have a two-hit day. Six Hunter Forster was 2-for-4 with an RBI double for GSW.

UP NEXT
Columbus State looks for the sweep on Sunday, playing the series finale at 1 p.m. against Georgia Southwestern.

GAME NOTES
• It's the ninth time this season that a Cougar has hit two or more homers in a game. Wylie is the eighth different player to accomplish the feat 
• Robert Brooks has a hit in seven straight, while Meadows has reached base in 11 consecutive games 
• Columbus State has homered in 10 straight games
• Burton has allowed just one earned run since Feb. 26. Over that time, he pitched in 15.1 innings over nine appearances
• Colby Brabston's on-base streak was snapped at 15 games. It was the third-longest by a Cougar this season 
• It's just the fifth time this season the Cougars have scored fewer than five runs