WINGATE, N.C. - In a top-10 showdown, No. 9 Columbus State University grabbed a critical 8-5 win over No. 5 Wingate University in the NCAA Southeast Regional on Friday at Ron Christopher Stadium in Wingate, N.C.

The Cougars (44-11) are one win away from the NCAA Southeast Super Regional after the victory. CSU will play the winner of Saturday's elimination game featuring Young Harris College and WU at 7 p.m. CSU is in a prime situation and must be beaten twice to be eliminated from the postseason.

Both offenses came to play with both sides launching homers in the first. Robert Brooks opened the scoring with a two-run blast to left-centerfield, while Jed Bryant led off the bottom of the first with a solo bomb. Ricky Clark put Wingate ahead later in the inning with a two-run homer to left-center off of CSU starter Noah Windhorst.

Columbus State didn't stay behind for long as the Cougars put a four-spot on the board in the third. Steven Minter and David Meadows drew back-to-back one-out walks before Derek Wylie tied the game with a single through the left side of the infield. Win Johns followed with a double down the third-base line to make it a 4-3 CSU lead.

Following an RBI groundout from Matthew McDade, an infield single from Connor Kirley put the Cougars in front 6-3.

Windhorst settled into the game after stranding two leadoff runners in the third and another in the fourth. 

After Wingate (47-9) cut the margin to 6-4 in the fifth, the Cougars turned back to the long back in the sixth and seventh. Brooks went deep in the sixth, while Johns hit his first homer in the NCAA Regional to give Columbus State an 8-4 lead.

The Bulldogs put pressure on the Cougar bullpen in the eighth as three straight walks brought the tying run to the plate. However, Cougar closer Peyton Burton wiggled out of the jam with just one run crossing the plate.

WU  brought the tying run to the plate again in the ninth, but a strikeout and a groundout slammed the door shut on the rally.

CSU recorded 15 hits in the win, including a 3-for-5 day from Isaac Bouton. Brooks drove in three with his two homers, while Johns was 2-for-5 with two runs and RBIs.

Windhorst improved to 8-3 after tossing five innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out a pair. Austin Elliott pitched a scoreless inning with Leo Giannoni helping bridge the gap to Burton's fifth save.

Logan McNeely was 3-for-5 for the Bulldogs, while Clark drove in three.