DAHLONEGA, Ga. - A late-inning comeback attempt by the fifth-ranked Columbus State University baseball team was thwarted by the University of North Georgia on Saturday after a 10th-inning walk-off single lifted the Nighthawks to a 6-5 win at Bob Stein Stadium. 

The late innings were full of drama as Columbus State (30-6) entered the top of the eighth trailing 5-2. However, the Cougars didn't roll over with Win Johns beginning the frame off with a single. After a flyout, Trace Twardoski made an instant impact in his first Cougar start, launching a two-run homer to left to bring the Cougars within one.

The homer caused North Georgia to turn to its closer Jake Arnold for a five-out save but things didn't turn out as planned. With two outs, CSU head coach Greg Appleton turned to pinch hitter Will Wilbanks, who tied the game at five with a homer over the left-centerfield wall.

UNG had chances to move in front in the eighth and ninth, but CSU reliever Peyton Burton worked out of trouble in both innings, including stranding runners on second and third in the ninth. 

After North Georgia worked around a two-error in the top of the 10th, the Nighthawk bats went to work. A leadoff single and a grounder put a runner on second for UNG slugger Crews Taylor, but the Cougars decided to intentionally walk Taylor to set up a battle with Tim Conway. Conway delivered for UNG, lacing the walk-off hit into right-center to even the series at a game apiece.

"It's always hard to be on the wrong end of one like that," commented head coach Greg Appleton. "Our guys fought to get back into it, but North Georgia made plays down the stretch. Tomorrow is going to be fun, and we are going to have to bring the intensity." 

Both starting pitchers threw up zeros on the board until the fifth when North Georgia struck for a run against Noah Windhorst on a Taylor solo home run. 

The Nighthawks didn't stay in front for long as Robert Brooks tied the game with one swing of the bat to begin the sixth. The Cougars weren't done as Johns singled up the middle and stole second to get into scoring position. After a flyout moved Johns to third, a clutch two-out single by Twardoski put CSU in front 2-1.

The seesaw affair continued with North Georgia moving back in front 5-2 in its half of the sixth. A walk and a single knocked Windhorst out of the game before Hardigree greeted Austin Elliot with a two-run double to give UNG the lead. After the Nighthawks loaded the bases, Conway placed a single down the right-field line to score two more.

Both bullpens kept the other team off the board in the seventh to set up the dramatic finish.

Johns paced Columbus State at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs. Twardoski (2-for-4, 2-run HR) drove in three.

Conway was 3-for-5 with three RBIs for the Nighthawks.

Windhorst allowed three runs on five hits over his 5.1-inning start. The junior fanned six. Chandler Ring threw 1.2 scoreless innings out of the pen.

UP NEXT
Columbus State and North Georgia play the rubber match of the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The loss snapped CSU's five-game winning streak
• CSU moves to 1-1 in extras in 2022
• The Cougars have homered in 13 straight games
• Brooks now has a 10-game hitting streak. It's tied for the longest by any CSU player this year
• CSU holds a three-game lead over UNG in the PBC standings entering the series finale
• It was the first loss this year by a Cougar reliever