Rogers’ Record-Tying Home Run Helps Lift Cougars Over Braves

AIKEN, S.C. – Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year Jason Rogers secured his PBC record-tying 26th home run of the season as the 10th-ranked Columbus State Cougars recorded their 40th win of the season over the 30th-ranked UNC Pembroke Braves in the opening day of the 2010 PBC Baseball Tournament Saturday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. The Cougars bested the Braves 13-7.

Columbus State improves to 40-10 for the season. The Cougars’ season will continue on Sunday, May 9 in the semifinal round of the single-elimination tournament.
With the loss, UNC Pembroke falls to 34-14 for the 2010 season.

The Braves attacked first in the bottom of the third inning. Kyle Mastroianni crossed the plate off a single laced up the middle by Josh Haley.

Columbus State answered in the top of the next inning when Mitch Rider led off the bottom of the inning with a home run over the center field wall.

Jason Coker put UNC Pembroke back up on top of the Cougars 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning when he raced across the plate when Tom Porricelli ripped a triple to the warning track in center field.

In the top of the sixth inning the Cougars found the equalizer once more. Ryan Lewis pounced on an opportunity to cross the dish when a wild pitch went back to the backstop.

The Cougars captured their first lead of the game in the top of the seventh inning when Alex Montes tagged up at third base and scored off a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Lewis.

Columbus State extended their lead out to 5-2 in the top of the eighth inning off a two-run home run over the left field wall by Eric Skinner, scoring Aaron Jividen on the play. Jividen was pinch-running for Iain Sebastian who singled through the right side.

The Braves were able to get one run back in the bottom of the inning when Coker scored off a well-hit double to right-center field by Porricelli to put the score at 5-3. The Cougar centerfielder made an athletic play to end the inning when he caught a high fly ball straight out to center field at the warning track, leaving two runners stranded for UNC Pembroke.

Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year Jason Rogers led the Cougars on a eight-run charge off five hits in the top of the ninth inning as he found his way home from second when Lewis sent a well-placed ball to the gap just behind the first baseman and in front of the right fielder.

Wes Adkins continued the scoring drive, extending the Cougars’ lead to four when he batted in Lewis from third with a double to the left field wall.

Adkins and Mitch Rider both sprinted home to score off a single hit by Skinner just out of reach of the diving UNC Pembroke.

Cameron Griffin cruised across the dish a few moments later when a ball got past the Braves’ catcher to the backstop to put the Cougars up 10-3.

Rogers tied the PBC and Columbus State single-season home run record of 26 with a three-run home run jacked over the right field wall to score Eric Weiss and Skinner, giving Columbus State the 10-run, 13-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth frame.
The Braves made a last attempt to capture the win over the Cougars in the bottom of the ninth inning as four Braves found their way across the plate off four hits.

Mastroianni scored first in the inning for UNC Pembroke off a single to left-center field by Derek Funk. Max Gagnon scored a few moments later off a sacrifice fly to right field by Coker before Funk and Seth Kivett both scored off a double down the right side by Whitman to put the final score at 13-7.

Columbus State out-hit the Braves 14-11 and were led at the plate by five Cougars with multiple hits and three with multiple RBIs. Montes led all Cougars at the plate going 3-for-5 with one run scored while Skinner, Rogers and Rider all went 2-for-5 with two runs scored each. Skinner had four RBIs while Rogers added three.

UNC Pembroke was led at the plate by Mastroianni who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Whitman and Porricelli led the Braves with two RBIs a-piece.

Thomas Campbell recorded the win on the hill for Columbus State striking out eight batters in seven innings of work. He improves to 9-2 on the season.

Matt McGovern suffered the loss on the mound for UNC Pembroke after striking out six batters in seven innings of work. He falls to 9-2 for the 2010 season.

The Cougars’ season will continue on Sunday, May 9 as they will play the winner of the West top-seeded Georgia College and State and East fourth-seeded USC Aiken game. The semifinal contest on Sunday will begin at about 2:30 p.m. with the winner of that game advancing on to the championship game later that afternoon.