GREENWOOD, S.C. – The Columbus State baseball team stayed alive in the 2026 Peach Belt Conference Tournament with a 6-2 victory over third-seeded USC Aiken inside Dolney Stadium.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Starter Gavin Blair (3-2) got out of a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the opening inning of play, setting the tone for the remainder of his outing as the redshirt-junior gave up just one run on five hits with four strikeouts in seven innings of work.
- In the third inning, junior Jax Yoxtheimer put his all-conference skill set on display with a two-run home run to right field that gave CSU a 2-0 lead.
- An RBI single from Yoxtheimer and a sac fly from senior Cayden Evans in the fifth gave the Cougars a 4-0 advantage as Blair sat the Pacers down in order in innings two, three and five.
- Junior Corey Berry increased the Columbus State lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning with an RBI double down the left field line that scored sophomore Luke Miller from second.
- Berry added an RBI single to his stat line in the eighth inning before USC Aiken broke through for two runs in the home half of the inning to make the score 6-2 with an inning to play.
- Junior reliever Dexter Benoit closed out the game with two strikeouts in the ninth to keep Columbus State alive in the postseason.
NOTES
- Blair earned his third victory of the season with a quality start on the mound, while Benoit collected his first save of the 2026 season after keeping the Pacers hitless across 1.2 innings out of the bullpen with three strikeouts.
- Yoxtheimer was 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored.
- Senior Bryce Knox was also 2-for-5 with a double, while junior Jacob Smith was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with two walks, two runs scored, and a double.
- Berry had two hits and two RBI of his own in the contest.
UP NEXT
Sixth-seeded Columbus State has a quick turnaround with another game tonight at 6:00 p.m. against second-seeded Lander University. If CSU wins, the two sides will play a winner-take-all game tomorrow with the game time still to be determined.
