COLUMBUS, Ga. – No. 11 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30) Columbus State University scored the first seven runs of the game and held on to defeat No. 21 Flagler College 9-4 in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Thursday evening at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.

Columbus State won its third game in a row and improved to 25-5 overall and 9-3 in the Peach Belt. Flagler dropped to 24-9 overall and 14-5 in conference play.

The Cougars scored four runs in the second inning as Austin Pharr belted a three-run home run to cap the scoring.

Insurance came in the third inning when Grant Berry's two-single to left field plated Mason McClellan to give Columbus State a 5-0 lead. Berry was thrown out at second base trying to stretch the single into a double.

Drew Webb added a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to stake the Cougars to a 7-0 lead.

The Saints got a run back in the sixth off a Jason Moore sacrifice fly.

Flagler would score three times in the seventh, one coming on a bases loaded catcher's interference and Dillon Reed followed with a two-run single to close the gap to 7-4.

McClellan hit a two-run double in the eighth for Columbus State.

Kolton Ingram (7-1) scattered eight hits over seven innings of work to get the win. He allowed four runs, three walks and struck out five batters. Ingram tossed 124 pitches.

Berry paced the 16-hit Cougar attack with three singles, two runs batted in and he scored a run. Chase Brown collected three singles and scored a run. McClellan went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and he scored a run.

Ryan Ashworth (4-4) tossed seven-plus innings, allowed 14 hits and eight runs. He struck out six batters. Kyle Hansen worked an inning in relief.

Reed collected three singles and drove in a pair of runs for Flagler. Sean Lawlor finished with a pair of singles and scored a run. Ethan Crout hit a double, scored a run and drove in another.

The same two teams meet tomorrow (March 30) at 5 p.m.