Joplin, Mo. – This evening the second seed Columbia College baseball team resumed play in the 2019 AMC Baseball Championships as they took on the first seed Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) University Lions. The Cougars fell against the Lions 6-3 and had to move to the elimination bracket where they had to go up against the third seed Missouri Baptist Spartans. The Cougars bounced back in the elimination bracket as they defeated the Spartans 11-4, to improve to 28-20 on the season.
 
The top seeded Lions started the semifinal with three runs scored to get the 3-0 lead. The Cougars responded in the second as Blade McKee hit to left to score Justin Randle. Joshua Miller followed that with a double to left field to score two more runners. Freed-Hardeman scored three runs in the fifth to extend their lead 6-3. The Cougars and the Lions were evenly matched for the rest of the game as neither team was able to add any more runs. With the loss, the Cougars moved to the elimination bracket where they had one more chance to fight their way back into the final of the AMC Tournament.
 
Jacob Ford (2-6) was the starting pitcher for the Cougars and was relieved by Derek Sallee (0-2), Jordan Copeland (2-0), Josiah Imhoff (5-2), and Lane Threlkeld (1-0). The five Cougars struck out a combined four batters. Offensively, Columbia was led by Joshua Miller as he had a hit and had two RBI, Blade McKee who had a hit while scoring a run and had one RBI, and Justin Randle who had two hits and a run scored to round out the top performers for the Cougars.
 
In game two against the Spartans, the Cougars came back strong to get the 3-0 lead. Chase Urhahn hit to left field and Nolan Rattai scored. Columbia had the bases loaded as Bradley Prebay hit to left-center to score two runners. In the third inning, Dalton Bealmer reached third base on the Spartans dropped fly to get him in scoring position. Bealmer then scored to extend the Cougars lead 4-0. Missouri Baptist came back fighting in the fourth as they cut Columbia's lead, 4-3. Joshua Miller started the bottom of the fourth with a double deep down the left field line. Urhahn then hit to center to get Miller across home plate. The Spartans weren't giving up as they homered in the sixth to get themselves back in the game. Urhahn doubled to right in the seventh and then stole base to get himself in scoring position. Bealmer hit to left and Urhahn scored to give Columbia their two run lead back. With the season on the line, the Cougars gave it all they had as they tallied up five runs in the eighth inning. Hayden Ludwig was the first to score in the inning on the Spartans misplayed grounder. Kenny Piper then doubled to left-center and three Cougars made it across home plate. Bealmer then followed that with a hit to center and another runner scored to make it an 11-4 game in Columbia's favor. The Cougars defense was ready for the final inning as they shut the Spartans down to win the game 11-4.
 
Jordan Copeland (2-0) got the start on the mound and was relieved by Lane Threlkeld (1-0), Tanner Beatty (1-0), and Conner Darnell (3-2). The four Cougars struck out a combined six batters in the 9 inning game. Columbia was led offensively by Kenny Piper who had a hit and three RBI, Chase Urhahn who went 4-4 while scoring three runs and had two RBI, Dalton Bealmer who had two hits while scoring a run and had one RBI, and Bradley Prebay who had two hits and two RBI.
 
With the win today, the baseball team has won an automatic bid to the 2019 NAIA World Series Opening Round. This is the first time in program history that the Cougars have made it to the Opening Round. The baseball team continues AMC Tournament play tomorrow at 12 p.m. when they have their rematch with number one seed Freed-Hardeman University in the AMC Tournament Final. With a win tomorrow, the Cougars will have to face the Lions in a winner take all game that will begin at 3 p.m. tomorrow.