OZARK, Mo. – The Columbia College baseball team punched its ticket to the next round of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Tournament Tuesday evening, rolling past Mission University 15-5 in a dominant offensive performance. With the win, Columbia advances in the double-elimination tournament and keeps its championship hopes alive.
The Cougars wasted little time putting their stamp on the game. Mission plated the first run of the contest in the opening inning, but Columbia answered with a two-run second frame, capped by a Joey Marcinkiewicz two-run home run that sent the Cougars in front for good. The lead was never relinquished from that point forward.
Kolten Payne was stellar on the mound for Columbia, earning the win and going 6.1 innings while holding the Patriots to three runs on nine hits, walking just one and striking out five. Aiden Strickland and Hunter Hees closed things out in relief, with Hees working the final two outs to secure the victory.
At the plate, the Cougars were relentless. Dylan Carlton was the offensive standout of the night, going 3-for-6 with a double, a triple, and four RBI. Joey Marcinkiewicz was equally impressive, finishing 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI to go along with three runs scored. Hunter Hees continued his torrid stretch, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and reaching base five times. Zac Fruend worked the count effectively, drawing two walks and driving in three runs from the third spot. Tyler Renn added a double and two RBI behind the dish, and Braydn O'Neal contributed a hit, a walk, and two runs scored.
Columbia's biggest inning came in the eighth, when the Cougars erupted for six runs to blow the game open. Carlton capped the frame with a two-RBI single to center field, pushing the lead to its final margin of 10.
The Cougars will continue their run in the tournament with a rematch against No. 4-seeded Williams Baptist tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.
Statistical Leaders:
CC def. MU, 15-5
- Dylan Carlton was strong at the plate finishing 3-for-6 with a triple, a double, and four RBI
- Hunter Hees also saw four hits on the night, scoring twice
- Tyler Renn and Joey Marcinkiewicz each doubled in tonight's contest
- Marcinkiewicz also homered in the second that gave the Cougars the lead
- Columbia saw six walks
- The Cougars totaled 15 runs on 14 hits
- Pitching:
