Monday, March 20, 2006

SAINTS SPLIT PBC DOUBLE HEADER WITH TIGERS

Columbus, Ga. - Columbus State plated five runs in the eighth inning of the opening game of a Peach Belt Conference twin bill with North Georgia to secure a 12-5 win. North Georgia took advantage of four CSU errors and five walks in the nightcap to post its first PBC win in a 7-4 decision. CSU is now 20-9 overall and 5-4 in PBC play, while North Georgia moves to 17-13, 1-5.

CSU starter Brent Benefield cruised into the eighth inning of game one with a 7-2 lead before the Saints mounted a comeback. A walk to Kyle Potts, an Erik Good single, and a Davy Wallach double with one out knocked Benefield from the game with the score 7-3. Johnny Floyd walked the only two hitters he faced to load the bases, and Paul Able then walked in a run to make it 7-4. Able worked out of the jam and went on to earn his eighth save of the season.

Benefield scattered nine hits in 7.2 innings with three walks and nine strikeouts. He picked up the win to move to 4-1 on the season. Able allowed just one hit and one walk in 1.1 innings of work and added a strikeout. His eight saves are the most for a Cougar reliever since Brian Baker posted eight saves in the national championship season of 2002.

CSU took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on four hits. Billy Howard had the big hit of the frame - a two-RBI single to score Kurt McKee and Jonnie Geiger. Trent Bianco later singled Howard home for the third run. CSU added a run in the fourth on an RBI double by McKee, and two more in the fifth. Stephen McNelly plated one of the runs in the fifth with a base hit.

David Brown smacked a solo home run in the sixth to give CSU a 7-1 lead at that point. North Georgia had picked up a run in the fourth on a Good single and would add another in the seventh on a Dusty Tate RBI double.

CSU added the five insurance runs in the ninth, taking advantage of an error and four hits. The biggest blow came off the bat of Brad Shea as he sliced a bases-loaded triple into the right field corner for three RBI. He came home on another McNelly single to provide the final margin.

Brian Lauderdale went 4-4 to lead the North Georgia offense, while teammate Good had a pair of hits. Brad Linton went 4-5 for CSU, while Brown, Bianco, Howard, McNelly, and Geiger each had two hits.

In the nightcap, North Georgia scored two runs each in the third and sixth innings and posted single runs in the first, fifth, and seventh innings. CSU starter Justin Lee was tagged with the loss, going 4.1 innings and allowing three earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts.

CSU took a brief lead in the second inning as Brian Gordon blasted a Cory Gilleland pitch deep over the right field wall for a two-run homer. Gilleland would settle in, however, and limit the Cougars to just five hits on the day with two walks. He allowed four runs, three of which were earned.

Justin Rickett plated two runs in the third with a solid double into the left field corner to give the Saints a 3-2 lead. After North Georgia picked up an unearned run in the fifth, the visitors would add two more in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Lauderdale and a Ryan Gurley RBI single. The Saints added an unearned run in the seventh.

CSU scored single runs in the sixth and seventh on an RBI single by Drew Candlin and a double play in the seventh.

Gilleland gave way to closer Potts in the seventh for the final out. Potts coerced a comebacker off the bat of McKee to end the game and secure his fifth save.

Gurley led the way with three hits for the Saints, while Lauderdale, Rickett, and Wallach each added a pair of hits. CSU got two hits from Candlin and two RBI from Gordon.

North Georgia takes the field at home on Wednesday against Emory University at 7 p.m. CSU is next in action on Thursday at West Georgia in a non-conference single game at 3 p.m.

Box Score Game 1

Box Score Game 2

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