AIKEN, S.C. – The Columbus State baseball team secured its second straight Peach Belt Conference series win with a 4-2 victory over host USC Aiken in 12 innings at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
The Cougars are now 11-8 overall on the season with a 6-3 mark in League play, while the Pacers fall to 16-6 with an identical 6-3 PBC mark.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Columbus State pitchers Gavin Blair and Danny Hershberger held USC Aiken to just one hit through the first three innings of play until the home team broke through with a run in the bottom of the fourth for a 1-0 lead.
- The Cougars wasted no time responding, plating two runs in the top of the fifth when junior Jacob Smith hit his first career home run as a Cougar, a two-run blast over the left field wall, to give CSU a 2-1 lead.
- USC Aiken was held hitless across innings 5-9, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and a runner on second as the Cougar pitching staff kept the visitors in front.
- However, in the home half of the ninth inning, the Pacers drew a lead-off walk that later came around to score following a sacrifice bunt and two-out RBI single to tie the game at 2-2 and force extra innings.
- Both sides left runners stranded in scoring position in the 10th and 11th innings, unable to break the stalemate.
- Sophomore Luke Miller sparked a rally in the top of the 12th with a one-out single through the right side, which was followed by back-to-back walks from Smith and junior Corey Berry.
- With the bases loaded, junior Jax Yoxtheimer battled through a seven-pitch at-bat to draw a walk and bring the go-ahead run home from third.
- Senior Jackson Chizek sent a sac fly to center field, scoring Smith from third to add an insurance run to the board.
- Senior right-hander Tucker Starling (2-0) had an up-and-down 12th inning on the mound, walking two and striking out two, but left a Pacer on second to end the game with CSU ahead.
NOTES
- Starling tossed two innings of one-hit relief with a CSU career-high four strikeouts to earn his second win of the 2026 season.
- Smith was 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run, a double, two runs scored, and two RBI, while Chizek registered a 4-for-5 performance on offense with an RBI of his own.
- Senior Bryce Knox and sophomore Victor Junco both finished 2-for-4 for Columbus State.
- Junior right-hander Dexter Benoit had the most dominant outing of his young CSU career, pitching four no-hit innings out of the bullpen with three strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Columbus State continues play within the Peach Belt Conference next weekend with a three-game series against in-state foes Georgia College. The first game from Milledgeville, Ga., is scheduled for Friday, March 13, at 5:00 p.m.
