PBC YEARBOOK
Baseball
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Y E A R S
CSU WINS PBC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT!
FLORENCE, S. C. – The fifth-ranked and top-seeded Columbus State University baseball team capped off a championship sweep Sunday defeating sixth-ranked and second-seeded Lander 9-4 to capture the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship. The tournament was held at Sparrow Stadium in Florence, S. C.
It is the fifth PBC Tournament title in Columbus State history and the first since the 2010 season. It is also just the second time that CSU( 42-12) has won both the PBC regular season and tournament titles with the other time coming in 1996.
“ This has been an amazing journey,” said head coach Greg Appleton.“ This team really is a family and it shows on the field in how they play for each other.
“ It is an amazing feeling that we won both titles and it is just a testament to these guys for always fighting and working hard to get better each and every day. Our journey isn’ t over yet and I know these guys want to accomplish even more next week.”
With the win, the Cougars earn the PBC’ s automatic bid to the NCAA Southeast Regional next week. CSU will have a chance to host and earn the region’ s number one seed after the victory over LU. Lander was first in the most recent region ranking followed by the Cougars. After being held to just seven runs in two days, the Columbus
State offense wasted no time in striking first. With two outs, CSU
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strung together three straight singles on three consecutive pitches to load the bases. Matt Nettles would then step up to the plate and rip a double down the left field line that scored a pair.
Lander( 38-14) would have answered in the bottom of the first if it wasn’ t for Cougar centerfielder Tyler Fichter. With one out, Zach Daly cranked a ball to deep centerfield that Fichter tracked to the wall. The junior would then leap and rob what would have been a two-run homer. Cougar starter Brandon Koehler then retired the next two hitters to get out of the inning unharmed.
In the third, the Cougars made it 3-0 with one swing of the bat as Christian Miller hit his second homer of the tournament to right-center.
The Bearcats got on the board in their half of the third. After Matt White singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch, Daly singled him home to make it a 3-1 game.
The Cougar offensive finally exploded in the fourth scoring three runs to increase their lead out to 6-1. Justin Evans singled to get things started before Jackson Oliver was hit by a pitch with one out to put two on. Following a LU pitching change, Ryan Ihle banged a double off the left field wall to chase home both Evans and Oliver. Miller would add on, picking up his second RBI of the day with a two-out single through the left side of the infield.
Lander quickly answered making it a 6-3 game after four. With one out, the Bearcats had runners on second and third for Alex Conaway, who singled right back through the middle to plate both runs. Koehler was able to limit the damage after getting Mason Dodd to roll into a
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