AMERICUS - The Georgia Southwestern baseball team jumped out to a 5-0 lead on No. 16 Columbus State on Saturday afternoon before the Cougars came storming back to hand GSW an 8-7 defeat in Game 2 of their Peach Belt Conference series at Hurricane Stadium.
Southwestern sees its current losing streak extended to six games and falls to 10-26 overall and 5-18 in the PBC. Columbus State improves to 30-11 overall and 18-5 in the PBC.
GSW opened with a four-hit, four-run barrage in the first inning, highlighted by a RBI single from Zach Moss and a RBI double by Corey Benson.
Devyn Newberry doubled for the Hurricanes to open the second inning and scored on the next play when Evan Alderman singled to center field.
CSU registered its first run in the third inning and quickly tied the game with four runs in the fourth. Jackson Oliver collected a RBI with his single in the four-run frame and Jimmy Obermark drove in a pair with his single to center.
The Hurricanes were retired in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and CSU went down 1-2-3 in the fifth.
The Cougars grabbed the lead in the seventh inning with two runs from three singles. Mike McClellan drove in a run and Blaine Miller pushed across the second with his infield ground ball to make the score 7-5.
Jarrod Taylor cut the CSU lead to one in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Alderman.
In the eighth inning the Hurricanes tied the ballgame when Alderman's single to left-center field brought home Les Cromer.
McClellan struck again in the ninth with a two-out line shot to center that brought home Obermark from second base for the game-winner.
Southwestern had two batters finish with multiple hits. Alderman collected four hits and improved his season batting average to .394 while Stephen Eldridge went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
CSU was led at the plate by three-hit performances from Oliver, Obermark and McClellan. Carson Bowers and Brendan Collins added two hits apiece for the Cougars.
Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision.
GSW starter Zac Wittmus allowed 13 hits and seven earned runs, walked one and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings of work. Earl Dupree (1-2) came out of the bullpen for the second straight day and pitched two scoreless innings before surrendering the game-winning run in the ninth. Dupree held CSU to two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out two.
CSU starter Caden Ferguson was pulled after allowing back-to-back hits to open the second inning. Ferguson gave up five runs and six hits, did not walk a batter and registered one strike out. Ryan Pistey was effective in his six innings of relief. He held GSW to two hits and one run. Taylor Cato followed with 2/3 of an inning before making way for Trey Watson (4-1). Watson kept GSW off the scoreboard for the final 1 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two.
The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.