Columbia, Mo. – This afternoon the Columbia College men's baseball team was back in action as they hosted the Park Pirates in an AMC doubleheader. Columbia swept the Pirates winning game one 6-5 and game two 6-3. The Cougars are now 13-8 on the season and 9-4 in conference play.

The Cougars and the Pirates were ready to play today as there were three lead changes in the first game of the doubleheader. Park started off with 2 runs scored in the first two innings, including a solo homerun. Columbia College found their rhythm in the third as they came back to take the lead after Ethan Howser hit a three-run homerun. The Pirates responded with a run scored in the fourth to make it a tied game at four. The Cougars kept their momentum going and added another run in the fourth to take the lead back 4-3. Park wasn't done yet though as they hit a two-run homerun for the lead, 5-4. Chase Urhahn started the bottom of the fifth with a solo homerun, his fifth of the season, to tie the game once again. A sacrifice bunt by Blade McKee gave the Cougars a 6-5 lead in the sixth. The Pirates made one last attempt to stay in the game, but the Cougars were able to close them out in the seventh for the win.
 
Grant Starke (3-0) got the start on the mound as he allowed six hits and struck out two batters in 4.3 innings of work. Josiah Imhoff (2-0) and Conner Darnell (3-0) came in to relieve Stark and allowed a combined one hit while striking out four batters. Offensively, the Cougars were led by Ethan Howser who had a hit and a run with 3 RBI and Chase Urhahn who had two hits and scored two runs with one RBI.
 
Game two started scoreless for both teams until the third inning. Each side was able to score two runs to keep the game tied. The Pirates kept pushing on in the next inning to take the lead 3-2, but the Cougars tied it again in the fifth. Back-to-back doubles from Chase Urhahn and Kenny Piper gave the Cougars the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Columbia College was able to add two more runs in that same inning to win the game 6-3.
 
Jacob Ford (2-3) was the starting pitcher for the Cougars and allowed just three hits and struck out five batters in three innings of play. Jordan Copeland, Josiah Imhoff (2-0), Derek Sallee (0-1) and Conner Darnell (3-0) came in to relieve Ford and allowed a combined one hit and struck out four batters in 4.3 innings. Offensively, the Cougars were led by Kenny Piper who had a hit and 2 RBI. Ward Mershon had two hits with two runs scored and one RBI, and Justin Randle had two hits with a run scored and one RBI to round out the top performers.
 
The baseball team is back in action Tuesday, March 19^th for a doubleheader against the Missouri Valley College Vikings with game one beginning at 1 p.m. and game two to follow.