Wingate, N.C.----The fifth-ranked Columbus State University Cougars built an 8-4 lead Friday night, then halted a pair of late potential rallies to prevail 8-5 over fifth-ranked Wingate University on day two of the NCAA Southeast Regionals at Ron Christopher Stadium. The Cougars improve to 44-11 overall and 2-0 in regional play, the only unbeaten team remaining in the regional bracket, while the 'Dogs fall to 47-9 overall. The Cougars need just one more win to advance to the super regionals; Wingate needs a pair of wins Saturday to force one more game on Sunday.

KEY STATS

- Columbus State out-hit Wingate 15-10
- The Cougars had four of the seven extra-base hits and three of the five homers
- CSU left 14 on base; the 'Dogs stranded 10 on the night
- Wingate committed the only two errors of the contest
- CSU pitching struck out nine and walked five; WU had eight strikeouts and eight walks

KEY BULLDOGS

- Ricky Clark was two-for-four with a double, homer and three RBI
- Jed Bryant also homered for the Bulldogs
- Gehrig Christopher added a pinch-hit RBI single
- Logan McNeely was three-for-five with a run scored
- Mitch Farris added two hits and a pair of runs scored
- Mac Callari tossed a pair of shutout innings, striking out two
- Sam Brodersen allowed just one run in three innings of work out of the bullpen

FIRST INNING

- A Robert Brooks two-run homer put CSU on top early
- Bryant led off the bottom of the frame with a solo bomb down the left field line
- McNeely followed with a single
- Clark connected on a two-run homer to left center to give Wingate a 3-2 lead

THIRD INNING

- The Cougars scored four times to regain the lead
- Derek Wylie tied it with an RBI single, while a Win Johns RBI double made it 4-3
- Connor Kirley capped the frame with an RBI single to put Columbus State on top 6-3

FIFTH INNING

- Farris reached on a two-out single
- He scored from first on Clark's RBI double to pull WU within two

SIXTH INNING

- Brooks put Columbus State back on top by three with a solo shot to left center

SEVENTH INNING

- Johns led off the seventh with a solo shot to right to make it 8-4

EIGHTH INNING

- Three straight walks started the bottom of the eighth for the Bulldogs
- Christopher's RBI single made it an 8-5 game
- Peyton Burton came out of the bullpen to induce a foulout and two strikeouts to limit the damage

NINTH INNING

- Back-to-back singles from McNeely and Farris put two on for the 'Dogs with one out
- Burton got a strikeout and groundout to preserve the win

WRAPUP

- Noah Windhorst got the win, moving to 8-3
- He allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings, striking out two and walking two
- Burton notched his fifth save, striking out four in two shutout innings, allowing two hits
- Austin Mitchell took the loss, falling to 10-1 on the year
- He allowed six runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking three

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Saturday at 3 p.m., hosting Young Harris in an elimination game
- The winner of the contest will face Columbus State at 7 p.m.
- If the Cougars win that game they are onto the super regionals next weekend
- If the WU-YHC winner defeats CSU Saturday night, there will be one final game Sunday at 3 p.m.