COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University baseball team defeated Lander twice on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Cougars move to 11-2 and 5-0 in PBC play. The Bearcats fall to 3-10 and 2-3 in the Peach Belt Conference.

GAME ONE:
A game that started on Friday and that was stopped in the seventh inning and postponed due to weather, finished today as the Cougars won 11-3. Columbus State had every hitter in their lineup get a hit and they combined for 12 hits total. Derek Wylie went 3 for 5 and picked up three rbi's in the game. Matthew McDade had two hits, one of which was a ground-rule double. The Cougar hitters also had four doubles in the game.

Noah Windhorst moves to 3-0 on the season as he pitched another quality outing for CSU. The junior right hander finished with six strong innings, scattered five hits, and he punched out five Bearcats. Windhorst has a 2.16 era which is tenth in the PBC and he is second in the conference with 25 innings pitched on the season. He gave way to Zack Brockman who earned the three inning save as he made quick work of the Lander hitters. Brockman threw three innings, gave up one hit, and struck out five batters. 

GAME TWO:
Columbus State jumped out on the Bearcats right out of the gate as they scored three runs on three straight singles from Matthew McDade, Derek Wylie, and Will Wilbanks. Colby Brabston came up to the plate in the third inning and doubled down the left field line scoring two. Isaac Bouton had four hits in the game and five Cougars had multi-hit games: Isaac Bouton, Ian King, Matthew McDade, Derek Wylie, and Will Wilbanks.

The hot start to the Cougar bats gave the CSU pitching staff all the run support they needed. Colton Joyner had a fantastic outing in which he went seven innings and only gave up three hits. The junior righty struck out five batters which places him in the top-five for strikeouts in the PBC. Ryan Suppa finished off Lander as he made his six appearance of the season which is second on the team. Suppa struck out two Bearcats and gave up one hit in his two inning outing. 


NOTES:
- Colton Joyner and Noah Windhorst lead the PBC with 3 wins
- Matthew McDade is tied for first in the PBC with 20 hits on the season
- Isaac Bouton extends his hit streak to four games 
- Derek Wylie and Matthew McDade extend their hit streaks to eight games
- Ian King extends his hit streak to seven games and has multi-hit games in 6 of his last 7 games

UP NEXT:
Columbus State will look to sweep the Bearcats in a three game series for the first time since 2020. First pitch is schedule for 1 p.m. at Stephen B. Dolny Stadium.