VALDOSTA, Ga. – Columbus State scored six straight runs to defeat Valdosta State 8-3 in non-conference baseball action at Billy Grant Field Wednesday evening.
Columbus State (7-4) got on the board first as Brendan Collins opened the game with a double before VSU starting pitcher
Austin Glorius struck out the next two batters. However, Mike McCllean sent the first pitch he saw from Glorius up the middle for a base hit that plated Collins for a 1-0 CSU lead.
Valdosta State (6-3) got the run right back in the bottom of the inning as
Michael Gouge singled with one out and moved to third as
Bryant Hayman doubled. After
Hayden Jones walked to load the bases,
Kevin Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Gouge and even the game at 1-1.
The Blazers took the lead in the bottom of the second as
Jayk Graham singled and B.J. Harmon was hit by a pitch to open the frame. Two batters later,
Mike Reed singled up the middle to plate Graham for a 2-1 Blazer advantage.
Columbus State evened the game at 2-2 on a Blaine Miller RBI single in the third before plating three runs in the fourth to take the lead. With one out in the fourth, Ryan Ihle reached on an error and Collins drew a walk before a wild pitch moved both runners up a base. Carson Bowers drove both Ihle and Collins while Bowers moved to second when Jackson Oliver singled. After a flyout moved Bowers to third, a wild pitch brought him home to give the Cougars a 5-2 advantage.
CSU also added single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings while Valdosta State scored its final run on a Hayman single in the bottom of the ninth.
James Ethredge allowed three runs while recording only one out to fall to 0-1 on the season while Columbus State starting pitcher Jake Ezell surrendered seven hits and two runs in six innings to improve to 2-0.
Jones was three-for-three to lead VSU in hitting in the game while Hayman was three-for-four with a run driven in.
Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, February 21 when it opens a three-game weekend Gulf South Conference series against West Florida at Billy Grant Field. The two teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday followed by a single game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
