COLUMBIA, MO – A four-run sixth inning by the Park University Pirates proved to be the difference Tuesday afternoon, as Columbia College dropped an 8-4 decision to Park at home. The Cougars fall to 18-9-1 overall.

Columbia found itself in an early hole after Park plated two runs in the top of the first. Evan Johnson reached on an error, advanced to second on a balk, and stole third before scoring on a Jackson Polich single. Jarrett Hamlett followed with an RBI single of his own to make it 2-0 before the Cougars could record an out.

Columbia answered in the bottom half when Zac Fruend singled and Tyler Renn doubled to put runners on. Braden Hemmer reached on a fielding error that scored Fruend and cut the deficit to 2-1. Joe Hoerchler then made it a 2-2 game in the second, scoring on a Jack Hotze double down the right field line.

Park retook the lead in the third on a solo home run by Wiljerry Santiago, but the Cougars came back to tie it again in the fourth. Hoerchler doubled to open the inning, Fruend singled to put runners on the corners, and Dylan Carlton laced a ground-rule double to score Hoerchler and knot things at 3-3.

That's when Park took control for good. In the sixth, Jarrett Hamlett singled and Jan Marrero drove him in with an RBI single to make it 4-3. Johnson then recorded a two-run home run to push the lead to 6-3, and Gabriel Viera capped the four-run frame with an RBI double. Despite a sacrifice fly from Hoerchler in the eighth that trimmed the deficit to 7-4, Park tacked on one more in the ninth on an Evan Johnson RBI double to seal the 8-4 final.

Statistical Leaders: Park def. CC, 8-4

• Joe Hoerchler went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI, scoring twice and adding a sacrifice fly in the eighth
• Jack Hotze finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI
• Braden Hemmer went 2-for-4 with an RBI
• Zac Fruend and Dylan Carlton each collected two hits, with Carlton adding a ground-rule double and an RBI
• Columbia collected 12 hits on the day but left eight runners on base and did not draw a walk
• Pitching:
  • Kam Dohogne: 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 SO
  • Jackson Forck (L, 1-2): 1.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 SO
  • Brendan Wilson: 0.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 SO
  • Stetson Marion: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 SO
  • Aiden Strickland: 0.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 SO
  • Hayden Wilson: 0.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 SO
  • Carter Hutsell: 0.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 SO