COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Columbus State's baseball team exploded in the middle innings Saturday afternoon to erase a 6-0 deficit and defeat Lander 17-7 in the opening game of a three-game Peach Belt Conference series at Ragsdale Field. The game was originally slated for 1 p.m., but the rainy weather forced an adjustment in the schedule.
Lander jumped out to an early lead, plating six runs against CSU starter Korey Noles in the third inning. Chris Duncan was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and after an Alex Baur foulout, moved to third on an error by CSU second baseman Brandon Masters. Masters tried to field the ball and tag Duncan, but never gloved the ball, putting runners at the corners. Robert Skinner then scored Duncan with a single to make it 1-0. Gabe McCann then loaded the bases with a single and Brooks Arnette followed with another single to make it 2-0. TJ Guinan then delivered the big blow, blasting a Noles pitch deep to left-center for a grand-slam and a 6-0 lead.
CSU finally got on the board in the fourth, scoring three runs off Bearcat starter Daniel Hinchberger. Brad Bowen plated Brian Gordon with a single for the first Cougar run with one out in the frame. Martin later scored on a wild pitch and Jonnie Geiger scored Bowen with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3 at that point.
Thomas Morrison reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the fifth for CSU and advanced to second as Baur's throw sailed into the Bearcat dugout. That play opened a floodgate as C.J. Bressoud reached on an infield single and Brian Gordon walked. After an apparent shoulder injury to Hinchberger, LU reliever Tim Rau came on and on his first pitch, Cole Martin drilled a mammoth homerun to left-center for a grand slam and a 7-6 Cougar lead. CSU would end up scoring 10 runs in the inning, two coming on a Brandon Masters homer and two more as Martin just missed a three-run homer in his second plate appearance of the inning, lashing a double off the wall in left. CSU collected seven hits in the frame and Lander committed two defensive miscues.
CSU added two runs in the seventh on a Bressoud groundout and a Gordon single, and two more in the eighth on a Rodney Rutherford double and a Morrison sacrifice fly. Lander scored its final run in the ninth as Hunter Ruoss smacked a solo homer to right off Noles in the top of the ninth.
Noles settled in after the six-run third and took control of the game. He recorded 10 strikeouts after Lander had scored its runs, and finished with 13 punchouts in the game - a career high for the senior. The six earned runs are the most allowed this season by the lefty, but he still managed to toss a complete game and run his season mark to 8-0. He allowed seven hits and walked two.
Rau took the loss, allowing six earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. Hinchberger allowed five earned runs in his four innings of work on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Lander used a total of five pitchers in the game. Skinner was the only Bearcat with two hits in the contest.
CSU got three hits each from Masters, Rutherford and Gordon on the night, while Geiger and Martin added a pair of hits each. In all, CSU pounded out 17 hits, including eight for extra bases.
The two teams will close the three-game set on Sunday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Ragsdale Field.
