MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Combining for 21 runs and 29 hits, the Georgia College & State University Baseball team (20-22, 17-11 PBC) squared off with Columbus State University (33-12, 18-10 PBC) Friday at John Kurtz Field, the Bobcats falling 14-7.

Every time the Bobcats got some momentum, CSU had a near-immediate reply. Down early 6-0 after the top of the third, the Bobcats responded with four runs, cutting the advantage to two. After tying the game in the bottom of the fourth at 6-6 on an RBI double from Jaxon Weatherford (Charleston, South Carolina) and a run-scoring single from Baylin Moore (Albany), Columbus State added a run in the top of the fifth.

GCSU again tied the game up in the bottom of the fifth as Hunter Baker (Huntersville, North Carolina) tagged a home run to dead center field, but right away a four-run top of the sixth put the Cougars in the driver's seat for the remainder of the game.  

Moore finished 3-for-5 with the RBI and a run. Baker was 2-for-4 with the home run and a double, driving in one and scoring once as well. The blast was his third this season. Leftfielder Matthew Cassandra (Cumming) had his second career home run as part of a 2-for-5 day, tallying two RBIs and a run. Rightfielder Brandon Bellflower (Milledgeville) ripped a two-run bomb in the third, his ninth this season and 21^st of his career.

Righty reliever Lex Kenny (Canton) was tagged with the loss, falling to 1-2. He went 1 1/3 innings and picked up a strikeout.

The loss puts GCSU at 17-11 in Peach Belt Conference (PBC) play, good for fifth in the league standings. There are two more PBC games to go.

The Bobcats and Cougars finish the three-game PBC set with a doubleheader tomorrow, April 29 at 1 p.m. At 9 a.m., graduating members of the Bobcat Baseball team will have a special on-field commencement with President Cathy Cox. Senior Day Festivities will begin at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Owning the top Academic Success Rate among public schools in Division II, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won three-straight Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in post-season competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.