GREENWOOD, S.C. – Carson Bowers had four hits and scored the game-winning run on a bad hop single and error in a dramatic bottom of the 10th inning as No. 3 seed Columbus State eliminated No. 6 seed Catawba College in stunning fashion, 6-5, in the final elimination game of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament Saturday night at Lander University's Dolny Stadium.

Columbus State will meet top seed Lander for the Regional championship Sunday with a trip to the Division II College World Series on the line.

Game time is tentatively set for 1 o'clock at Dolny Stadium though that might change due to a threat of rain. The decision will be announced Sunday. Lander needs one victory to advance to the College World Series while Columbus State must beat the Bearcats twice.

The Cougars improved to 39-16. Catawba finished its season 35-20.

Catawba took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th inning when Keaton Hawks led off with a single to left, moved to second on Ethan Satterfield's sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when T.J. Wharton hit a high chopper in front of the plate. Hawks easily beat the pitcher's hurried throw home as Wharton was credited with a fielder's choice.

Malachi Hanes pinch ran for Wharton and appeared to steal second but was ruled out for batter's interference as Julio Zubillaga struck out swinging, setting the stage for a crazy finish at Dolny Stadium.

Blaine Miller drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the 10th and stopped at second on a single by Bowers. Indians pitcher Shaefer Shepard struck out Caleb Williams out, leaving Catawba one out away from victory.

Brendan Collins hit a routine grounder to shortstop Dylan Richardson for what looked like a sure final out. But the ball took a wicked hop well over Richardson's head into left center. Miller scored the tying run and Bowers raced home with the game-winner all the way from first when the center fielder overran the ball.

Columbus State's players piled onto the field to celebrate their advancement to the finals while the Indians were stunned.

Saturday's game began as a surprising pitcher's duel between a pair of hurlers who had made two starts all season between them. Columbus State's Sean Muller was making his first start of the season out of 22 appearances and took a shutout into the eighth inning. Catawba's Joe Watson was making just his third start of the season in 13 appearances and allowed only two hits in 5.2 innings.

Joe Watson got in trouble in the bottom of the first, walking three straight batters after one out and falling behind 2-0 to the next hitter before striking him out and then escaping the jam with a pop out.

The Cougars had Watson on the ropes again in the fourth and broke through this time with a pair of runs. Miller and Bowers walked with one out, and after an infield fly out, Collins delivered an RBI single to left.

Columbus then pulled off a double steal with Collins swiping second and Bowers stealing home for a 2-0 lead. Collins tried to score on a wild pitch but was tagged out at the plate on a throw from catcher Joe Wallace to Watson to end the inning.

Catawba had its first serious threat in the top of the seventh when Hawks hit a leadoff single, moved to second on Satterfield's ground out, and advanced to third on Wharton's fly out to deep right. Muller got the last out when he retired Zubillaga on a ground ball back to the mound.

As Columbus State took a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning, the game began taking several dramatic turns.

The Indians ended Muller's shutout bid in the eighth when Craig Brooks hit a leadoff single, raced to third when Wallace executed a hit-and-run single through the left side, and scored when Cameron Beard reached on a fielder's choice. Columbus State shortstop Bowers made a nice play in the hole on Beard's grounder, delivering a long throw to second to get a force out.

The Cougars replaced Muller with closer Trey Watson and got into further trouble, and saw their lead vanish. Blake Houston reached first and pinch runner Gary Williams moved to third when Bowers made a wide throw on a force attempt at second. Paul Kronenfeld followed with a game-tying RBI double to left center.

Catawba took a 3-2 lead when Columbus State's catcher committed a passed ball, initially blocking the ball but losing the ball behind him. Houston raced toward the plate and barely beat the tag for the go-ahead run. Kronenfeld scored on another passed ball, giving the Indians a 4-2 lead.

Indians closer Ryan McClintock, who had relieved Joe Watson with two outs in the sixth, was now trying to protect a lead as momentum was clearly on Catawba's side. The Cougars loaded the bases on singles by Dustin Averett, Blake Edwards and Miller, whose infield single came with two outs. Bowers came through with a game-tying single through the middle, with Edwards barely beating the tag at home plate.

Catawba had a major threat in the top of the ninth with Wallace hitting a single and Richardson walking with one out. Columbus State second baseman Jimmy Obermark dove to his left to rob Houston of a possible go-ahead single, leaving runners on second and third with two out. Kronenfeld hit a soft liner to center that was caught for the final out, sending the game into the bottom of the ninth.

The Cougars had a shot at a walk-off win in the ninth when Collins led off with an infield single to third and moved to second on Jackson Oliver's sacrifice bunt. McClintock intentionally walked Obermark and was pulled for Shepard, making his third appearance in the tournament. Shepard retired Averett on a foul pop out to first base for the second out. Mike McClellan, who hit a walk-off homer against USC Aiken in Thursday's tournament opener, flied out to fairly deep center to send the game into extra innings.

Muller pitched 7.1 strong innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits while walking only one and striking out four. Trey Watson (6-1) got the win in relief, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits in 2.2 innings.

Catawba's Joe Watson allowed two runs and only two hits in 5.2 innings, with seven strikeouts and four walks. McClintock allowed two runs on six hits in 2.2 innings and Shepard (7-3) gave up two runs in 1.1 innings.

Leading hitters for Catawba were Hawks, 3-for-5; and Wallace, 2-for-4.

Top hitters for the Cougars were Bowers, 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI; and Collins, 3-for-6 with two RBI.