COLUMBUS, Ga.----Three Columbus State pitchers did not allow an earned run and the Cougar offense broke open a tight game with four runs in the seventh inning here Sunday as the Cougars defeated Lander 9-4 in a Peach Belt Conference series finale. The win gives CSU (36-15, 15-9) a series sweep of the Bearcats (28-21, 10-14).
The Cougars jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first and third innings. Drew Candlin drove home David Brown with two outs for the first run, and Brian Gordon followed with a double to score Candlin for the 2-0 lead after one inning. Candlin again delivered in the third, this time launching his eighth home run of the season. Billy Howard was aboard in front of Candlin's clout after
drawing a leadoff walk.
Lander cut the margin to 4-3 with three unearned runs in the fourth. After Kurt McKee's throwing error at second put a pair of runners on, Radley Raven poked a two-out double down the left field line to score the first run, and Adam Hutchins followed with a two-run single to score Raven and James Compo to make it 4-3.
CSU made it 5-3 in the fifth when Brad Linton bashed a William Dudley pitch over the left-center field wall for a solo home run, his sixth of the year. Lander answered in the seventh, getting another unearned run. CSU reliever Brian Kilgore got Kevin Davis swinging, but the ball popped out of catcher Trent Bianco's mitt and allowed Davis to reach first. Gabe McCann then delivered a double to score Davis and make it 5-4.
The Cougars answered in the seventh with a big two-out rally. Candlin doubled off the glove of Bearcat center fielder McCann near the wall in deep center field with one out. He came home on a single by Gordon to make it 6-4. After Linton flew out for the second out, CSU got four straight two-out hits. Brad Shea doubled to score Gordon and took third on the throw to the plate. He came home on Trent Bianco's single for the 8 -4 lead. After a Jimmy Cobb single, McKee atoned for his fielding miscue with a sharp single to left to score Bianco and make it 9-5.
Johnny Floyd pitched the eighth and ninth for CSU to finish up, allowing just one walk and fanning one. Kilgore had worked an inning in relief of starter and winner Brent Benefield, allowing one hit and one unearned run with two strikeouts. Benefield (5-1) went six innings and scattered eight hits. He walked one and fanned five, allowing just three unearned runs.
Candlin and Gordon led the 13-hit CSU attack with three hits each and combined for five RBI. McKee and Shea each added two hits for the Cougars.
Jake Hover (3-5) took the loss for Lander, going three innings and allowing four earned runs with four walks and two strikeouts. Three other pitchers combined to allow five earned runs and eight hits for
the Bearcats. Compo led a nine-hit offensive attack with two hits on the day.
