COLUMBUS - The No. 8 Columbus State University baseball team will have to work out from the loser's bracket in the 2022 Peach Belt Conference Tournament as the Cougars fell 16-3 to Young Harris College on Friday.

YHC (36-17) held a 2-0 lead after three innings as Noah Fitzgerald put the Mountain Lions on his back. Fitzgerald cashed in on the first run of the day following three straight singles to put YHC ahead. Fitzgerald followed with a solo homer to begin the top of the third. 

That would really be all the offense Young Harris would need as Nate Lamb threw a gem on the hill. The lefty allowed just three unearned runs over eight innings to record his sixth win of the year.

After Fitzgerald's second homer of the day in the eighth made it a 6-0 game, CSU cut into the deficit with a three spot in the eighth. The Moutian Lions committed two errors in the inning that helped the Cougars plate the runs. Steven Minter and Win Johns both collected base knocks in the frame.

Things went south for the Cougars in the ninth as Young Harris put the game away with a 10 spot. YHC sent 14 hitters to the plate, including Rome Wallace, who slamed a three-run shot over the left-field wall. Mark Castle also took the Cougars deep in the frame to cap of the game's scoring.

Seven different pitchers saw action for Columbus State, with Devin Dudal getting hit with the loss. The senior allowed two runs on six hits over four innings. 

Fitzgerald ended the game 4-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs. 

Colby Brabston (2-for-4, BB) and Win Johns (2-for-4, 2B) were the only Cougars with two-hit days.

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Columbus State and Georgia Southwestern University will meet on Saturday at 3 p.m. in an elimination game. The winner advances to Saturday's final game at 7 p.m. and will take on the loser of the 11 a.m. game featuring Young Harris and Georgia College.