COLUMBUS, Ga. – Flagler College rallied to tie the game at 8-all with a five-run ninth inning, but a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the ninth gave No. 4 (
Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 40) Columbus State University a 9-8 win in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Saturday evening at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.
Columbus State extended its winning streak to eight games and improved to 8-1 overall and 2-0 in the Peach Belt. Flagler is now 0-9 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
A.J Prendergast (0-3) started the ninth inning for the Saints and retired the first two batters he faced before Trace Twardoski belted the game-ending home run.
Flagler trailed 8-3 going into the top of the ninth.
Tim Kudlinski led off the inning with a double down the right field line and later scored on a sacrifice fly. An error by the Columbus State shortstop plated another run and
Mason Gray hit a run-scoring single to bring Flagler to within two runs.
Taylor Clapp ripped a two-run single to right field to knot the score.
Logan Seehafer (1-0), who struck out the only batter he faced to end the top of the ninth, got the win for the Cougars. Colton Joyner started and allowed one run on four hits in seven innings. He fanned 10 batters.
Derek Wylie hit two home runs, scored two runs and drove in three more for the Cougars. Ian King went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs batted in.
Trey Newland led the Saints as he went 2-for-5 with a double and he scored a run. Kudlinski went 2-for-4 with a double and
Simms Owens hit a triple, scored two runs and drove in another.
The same two teams meet tomorrow in the series finale at 1 p.m.
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