COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Columbus State’s Korey Noles tossed eight strong innings as the Cougars claimed a 6-0 shutout win over Augusta State on Saturday. The contest was the Peach Belt Conference opener for both squads. CSU, ranked 15th nationally, improved to 10-4 overall and 1-0 in the PBC, while ASU fell to 7-7 and 0-1.

Noles, despite going deep in the count to a number of hitters, limited the Jaguars to just six hits and fanned eight in his eight innings of work. He walked two batters on the day in moving to 3-0 on the year.

The game started as a duel between ASU starter Brandon Iversion and Noles. Iverson limited CSU to just one hit through the first four innings with a pair of strikeouts, while Noles surrendered four hits through five innings as the two teams headed into the bottom of the fifth scoreless. CSU was able to push across a run in the fifth, thanks to three consecutive hits. Geiger plated Brandon Masters with the game's first run.

CSU chased Iverson from the game in the bottom of the sixth. Rodney Rutherford reached on an error to lead off the frame and advanced to third as a Morrison single to right field was misplayed, putting both runners in scoring position. C.J. Bressoud followed with a deep fly to center to plate Rutherford with an unearned run and a 2-0 lead. After Blake Pockrandt replaced Iverson, Tyler Baughman slapped a two-out single through the left side to make it 3-0.

The Cougars added three more runs in the seventh on four hits. After consecutive singles by Casey Cook and Geiger led off the inning, Pockrandt was lifted for lefty Ben Dukes. CSU coach Greg Appleton countered with pinch-hitter Cole Martin, and the plan worked as Martin drilled a two-run double to left field. Morrison delivered a two-out single two batters later to make it 6-0.

Noles allowed an eighth-inning double to Tyler Marzofka, but got a double play to end the inning as Marzofka tried to take third on Bryson Smith groundout and was thrown out. Jason Weaver pitched a scoreless ninth to finish up for CSU.

Iverson allowed five hits and just one earned run in 5.1 innings for ASU, taking his second loss of the year. Kevin Owens and Tony Baker had two hits each to account for four of the Jags's six hits.

Morrison, Cook, and Geiger each had three hits for CSU as the Cougars had 12 in the game. Martin had the only extra-base hit for CSU with his 7th-inning double.

The two teams close the three-game set on Sunday with a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. at Ragsdale Field.

Columbus State d. Augusta State 6-0 (BOX SCORE)