Box Score KINSTON, N.C.--Second-seeded Columbus State (45-18) took the lead with three runs in the second inning and never looked back, getting revenge as they dealt fifth-seeded USC Aiken (39-24) a season-ending 8-2 loss in an elimination game at the 2007 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional on Saturday afternoon at Grainger Stadium. The 27th-ranked Pacers handed the 14th-ranked Cougars a 6-1 setback in Thursday's opening round. 

Columbus State jumped on the board in the top of the first inning with an RBI single off the bat of Rodney Rutherford. USC Aiken responded in the bottom of the inning when junior Chad Jacobsen blasted a two out, solo home run to right field. The first baseman's 11th homer of the year was the first hit by a player at the regional. With his 75th RBI, Jacobsen broke the single-season school record. 

The Cougars seized the momentum in the second inning as both teams loaded the bases, but only the Cougars were able to push across more than one run. CSU took a 4-1 lead with three runs, but most importantly limited the Pacers to just one run in the bottom half of the inning. After Matt Spivey drove in a run with an RBI single, senior Darryl Pui flied out and sophomore Ken Raborn struck out to end the threat. 

"That (not scoring with the bases loaded and one out in the second) was crucial," USCA head coach Kenny Thomas said. "If we could have knocked it a few runs, that may have changed the momentum of the game. We had the right people at the plate, but we just couldn't get that key hit. We had (Korey) Noles in a tight spot, but we let him off the hook."

Columbus State starter Korey Noles (9-3) kept the Pacer offense at bay after that. Beginning with the final two outs of the second inning, Noles retired 21 of the next 23 batters, allowing just two walks, before a one-out hit from senior Ben Tankersley in the ninth.

"The first time we faced Noles (earlier this season), we hit him good," said senior Zach Cooper. "He is the type of pitcher that as the game goes on, he gets better. We couldn't get the big hit off him early to get him out of the game."

Sophomore Beau Hill relieved USC Aiken starter Dustin Tyra (4-2) to get the final two outs of the second and held the Cougars without another run until the sixth, when he issued a one-out walk to Jonnie Geiger. A balk moved Geiger to second, and after Hill got the second out on a line out, Billy Howard greeted reliever Gary Lee with an RBI single up the middle to make it 5-2. 

The Cougars added three insurance runs off Lee in the seventh, as David Brown hit an RBI double down the left field line and Trent Bianco homered down the right field line. 

Noles allowed the one-hit to Tankersley and a two-out double by senior Marc Joehnk, but induced a groundout from Spivey to end the game. In nine innings of work, Noles allowed two earned runs on six hits while walking four and striking out two. 

Tankersley finished 2-for-4 at the plate while Jacobsen, Spivey, Joehnk, and senior Chris Sheehan also added one hit apiece. Howard, Rutherford, and Bianco all collected two hits apiece for Columbus State. 

The loss ends the careers of eight USC Aiken seniors, the bulk of which form the foundation of a program that has made three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional. 

"This year's seniors did a great job of even getting here," Cooper said. "It was a good run, but once we get here, as a program we have to get to the point to where we are just not happy to be here. We need to try and win this thing. It took so much to get here, I think that just took a lot out of us."
 
Columbus State...... 130 001 300 - 8 9 0
USC Aiken................ 110 000 000 - 2 6 0

Win – Noles (9-3); Loss – Tyra (4-2)

DP - Pacers 1. LOB - Cougars 7; Pacers 7. 2B - Brown; Masters; Joehnk(9). HR -
Bianco; Jacobsen(11). HBP - Rutherford 2. SH - Howard; Brown. SF - McKee. SB -
McKee.