The Owls took a 7-5 victory over Columbia in a rubber match on Sunday at S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field.
The Owls began the series Friday night with a tough loss to the Lions. Pitcher Braden Osbolt held the Lions scoreless until the fifth, tossing 37 strikes out of 47 pitches. Columbia broke the 0-0 tie in the fifth with a home run to right center from Cole Fellows.
The Lions racked up three more runs in the frame with a two-RBI double and an unearned run.
In the bottom frame, Cam Suto scored first for the Owls on an RBI single by Kaden Brown. KSU nabbed two more runs on an RBI single from Aaron Posey and a walk from Corey Berry II with the bases loaded.
The Lions extended their lead to 5-3 with a home run from Sam Miller in the sixth inning.
KSU responded on an RBI single by Brown in the bottom of the eighth.
The Lions’ bats were held down through the top of the ninth, and Wesley Alig scored on a sacrifice fly by Donovan Cash to tie game at 5-5.
Tied after nine, the teams went into an additional inning. Columbia earned five runs in the top frame and defeated the Owls 10-5 in 10 innings.
In the second game of the series, the Owls defeated the Lions in a remarkable comeback.
The Lions earned two RBIs, starting the game off with a two-run lead.
The Owls quickly responded in the bottom of the second when Suto and Posey scored on errors by Columbia, tying the game 2-2.
In the third inning, the Lions achieved a two-RBI double and an RBI single, allowing them to take a 5-2 advantage.
After a Chris Cole RBI single scored Evan Holstein to bring the Owls back within 5-3, the Lions scored three runs in the fifth, all unearned.
Down 9-3, the Owls scrapped to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs on an RBI single by Posey and a run by Suto on a Columbia error.
The Lions were held scoreless through the top of the ninth. Despite the six-run deficit, the Owls did not give up. KSU’s bats came alive, scoring five runs in the bottom frame.
Cooper Williams scored on a wild pitch to end the game, giving the program its biggest comeback since 2022, and a 10-9 victory.
The Owls went home with a 7-5 victory against the Lions Sunday, giving them the series win.
Columbia started the game with an RBI single in the first inning. The Owls remained scoreless in the second inning as the Lions nabbed a homerun, an RBI single, and an unearned run.
Down 4-0, the Owls knocked the deficit to only two runs with a homerun by Suto and an RBI single by Alig in the bottom of the second.
Pitcher Harry Cain held the Lions with no runs and only one hit for three innings, allowing KSU to make a comeback.
“Very blessed to do that,” Cain said. “It’s a blessing that I’m able to be in a position to help my team out.”
Nate Anderson laced the ball deep into right field, scoring Suto and Williams on an RBI triple in the bottom of the third. After a swift fourth inning, KSU continued their scoring streak in the fifth. Anderson hit a home run over the right field fence, scoring a three-runs by plating Williams, Cash and himself. Anderson finished with five RBIs in the contest.
In a last-ditch effort to win the game, the Lions scored on an RBI single in the top of the ninth, but it wasn’t enough. The Owls dugout roared as they celebrated their first series win of the 2025 season.
Cain, who played an integral part in the rubber match, is coming back from an injury that surgery. He is very grateful to be able to play again and pitch a great game.
“It’s all God, it’s not me,” Cain said. “He’s allowing me to do this.”
Cain said that despite the “rough start” to the season, he believes this series was the beginning of a huge turnaround for the Owls. As the team learns to bond and work together, the games will likely continue to improve.
“We’re starting to become more of a unit,” Cain said. “It was more self-goal driven, which can happen in a team, especially early on. We’re starting to realize that we need each other in order to work and function.”
The Owls face Georgia State this Tuesday in an away game at the GSU Baseball Complex.
