COLUMBUS, Ga. – The University of Montevallo baseball team fell to host Columbus State University 12-1 in the first game of a three-game Peach Belt Conference series March 14.

The Falcons, ranked No. 17 in the latest College Baseball Lineup NCAA Division II poll, will close out the series against the Cougars with a doubleheader Saturday, March 15. First pitch in the first game of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CST.

Senior Todd Thompson led the Falcons (15-9 overall, 7-6 in Peach Belt Conference) offensively as he finished 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in one run.

Sophomore Brandon Marshall went 2-for-4 at the plate. Freshman Dane Hutcheon finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a stolen base. Junior Zack Willoughby went 1-for-3 at the plate and scored one run. Junior Matthew Haskins finished 1-for-4 at the plate.

Sophomore Cody Hughes (2-1) was tagged with his first loss in his sixth start of the season. Hughes allowed five earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and two walks in seven innings on the mound.

Sophomore Jake Christensen allowed two earned runs on one hit in 1/3 of an inning in relief. Senior Kincaid Koehler gave up five earned runs on four hits with three walks in the final 2/3 innings.

Columbus State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Tim Massengale singled to left field before scoring on a RBI double to right-center field by Carson Bowers.

The Cougars extended their lead to 4-0 with three runs in bottom of the fifth inning.

Bowers led off the inning with an infield single before scoring on a RBI single to center field by Jackson Oliver. Oliver moved to second base when Jimmy Obermark was hit by a pitch and advanced to third base and scored on a pair of wild pitches by Hughes. Obermark capped the scoring in the frame when he crossed the plate on a RBI double to left field by Dustin Averett.

Columbus State added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning to push its lead to 5-0. Brendan Collins singled to center field in the frame and advanced to second base on a single by Oliver before scoring on a RBI single up the middle by Averett.

The Falcons finally broke through with a run in the top of the eighth inning when Willoughby led off the frame with a single and advanced to second base on fielding error by the Cougars before scoring on a RBI single to center field by Thompson.

Columbus State plated seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, which included a grand slam by Blake Edwards, to secure the 12-1 victory.