College baseball roundup: Columbus State uses big fourth to rout AUM

Columbus State scored six runs in the fourth inning to blow open a close game and went on to a 12-4 rout of Auburn-Montgomery on Wednesday at Burger King Stadium.

Mike McClellan hit a homer and finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. The homer was McClellan’s ninth of the season. He is second on the team to Matt Nettles, who has 10.

Ryan Ihle went 3-for-5 with thee runs scored a pair of RBIs. Christian Miller and Justin Evans drove in two runs apiece.

Luke Porter (3-0) earned the win. He allowed all four runs on seven hits and three walks. he struck out six. Sean Muller, Kyle Peals and Kolton Ingram combined to pitch the final four shutout innings.

Ihle and Miller drove in runs in the first for a 2-0 lead. After AUM tied it in the second, McClelland hit a two-run homer in the third for a 4-2 lead.

Six players drove in runs in the big fourth inning, which gave the Cougars a 10-2 lead.

Columbus State (23-10) will open a Peach Belt Conference series at Georgia Southwestern at 5 p.m. Friday. AUM is 26-9.

Georgia Tech 6,

Georgia Southern 1

Four pitchers combined to allow just one run on four hits as Georgia Tech beat Georgia Southern 6-1 on Wednesday night at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta.

Cole Pitts started and went five innings. He gave up a run and all four hits.

Wade Bailey went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to lead the Jackets.

Georgia Tech (19-5) hosts Duke on Friday at 7 p.m.

Late Tuesday

Auburn 10,

Alabama 1

Anfernee Grier (Russell County) hit his seventh homer of the season — best in the SEC — to lead Auburn to a 10-1 victory over Alabama on Tuesday night in the annual Capital City Classic.

The game was played at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala. It did not count in the SEC standings.

Grier finished the game 3-for-5. He also had a double. Grier leads the SEC in six other offensive categories as well, including batting at .434.

Blake Logan also hit a homer and drove in three runs.

Hunter Webb (Russell County) went 1-for-3 with an RBI for Alabama.

Auburn (12-13, 1-5) opens a SEC series at home against LSU at 7 p.m. Friday.

Alabama (15-9, 4-2) will open a series at Georgia at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Kennesaw State 4,

Georgia 2

LJ Talley drove in two runs for Georgia, but the Bulldogs lost 4-2 to Kennesaw State on Tuesday night at Foley Field in Athens, Ga.

Corey Greeson knocked in two for Kennesaw State.

Georgia (15-11, 2-4) begins a SEC series at home vs. Alabama at 7 p.m. Thusrday.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 2:31 PM with the headline "College baseball roundup: Columbus State uses big fourth to rout AUM."