DAHLONEGA, GA. – The Columbus State baseball team avoided a series sweep by taking the final game of a Peach Belt Conference series with No. 13 University of North Georgia by a 14-8 score on Sunday afternoon from Bob Stein Stadium.
Columbus State is now 24-15 overall with a 16-8 record in the PBC, while North Georgia falls to 33-11 on the year with a 24-3 conference mark.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The two sides were tied at 1-1 after the first inning of play as junior Jax Yoxtheimer led off the game with a solo home run before UNG evened the score in the bottom of the frame.
- Senior Cayden Evans recorded an RBI in the second inning to give CSU a 2-1 lead and senior Michael Cruz extended the advantage to 3-1 with a solo home run in the third inning.
- In the sixth inning, the Cougars erupted for six runs on just three hits and a Nighthawk fielding error, scoring back-to-back runs on a Jacob Smith walk with the bases loaded and a Corey Berry sac fly before senior Jackson Chizek plated two runs with an RBI single through the right side.
- Evans finished off the scoring in the sixth with an RBI double down the left field line to drive in two runs and put Columbus State ahead 9-1.
- North Georgia cut the deficit to five runs with a three-run seventh inning, however, the Cougars moved their lead back to eight runs with a three-run eighth.
- Smith opened the inning with a solo shot to left field, while Chizek added another RBI single to his tally just three batters later. Senior Bryce Knox roped a two-out double down the right field line to score Chizek from first and move the score to 12-4 with an inning and a half remaining.
- The Nighthawks added another run in the bottom of the eighth before Yoxtheimer drove in two runs with an RBI single in the ninth for a 14-5 lead.
- North Georgia threatened to rally in the ninth, scoring three runs on a three-run home run before senior reliever Christian Harmon got out of the inning and left runners stranded on first and second to preserve the win.
NOTES
- Redshirt-junior Gavin Blair battled through an up-and-down outing, giving up just one run on one hit with six strikeouts and seven walks across 4.2 innings in his sixth start of the season.
- Junior Dexter Benoit (3-0) earned the win after pitching 3.1 innings with two strikeouts in his 13th appearance of the year out of the bullpen.
- Five separate Cougars had multi-hit performances in the victory led by Chizek's 3-for-6 outing. The Loganville, Ga. native had a double, two runs and three RBI with a stolen base on offense.
- Yoxtheimer was 2-for-4 with a home run, three runs, three RBI, and a walk, while Cruz and Berry were both 2-for-4 with a combined four runs scored and two RBI.
- Junior Cole Eison had two hits and a run of his own and Smith finished 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, two walks and three runs.
UP NEXT
Columbus State hosts a non-conference game against Auburn University at Montgomery on Tuesday, April 14 at 5:00 p.m. from Burger King Stadium.
