Related: Columbus State Evens Series, Tops No. 17 Baseball In Extras

COLUMBUS, Ga. – The 17th-ranked UNC Pembroke baseball team stranded 11 runners on the base paths, including seven in scoring position, and fell victim to a pair of homers by Columbus State that pushed the Cougars to a 4-1 win in the series rubber game on Sunday afternoon at Ragsdale Field.

The Braves (7-2, 1-2 PBC) fell to 22-41 all-time against the Cougars, and dropped their PBC-opening series for the first time since the 2010 campaign. Columbus State (5-5, 2-1) has now won seven of the last 11 matchups with the Black & Gold. It was the first time this season the Cougars have managed wins in consecutive outings.

The visitors stranded 30 runners on the base paths over the three-game series, including 18 in scoring position.

Drew Cole walked, doubled and homered on a 2-for-2 outing to provide the only multi-hit game for the Braves, while Zade Denton (1-for-2, BB) stretched his multi-season hitting streak out to 13 games with a single in the fourth. Jimmy Obermark (1-for-4) and Mike McClellan (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R) both clubbed home runs for the hosts.

Zach Andrews (0-1) struck out a pair and did not walk a batter in six innings from the mound in his first start for the Braves, but was tagged with the loss after yielding four earned runs on 10 hits. Bryan Headley (2-1) did just enough to grab the win for the Cougars, offsetting five hits and a trio of walks in just five innings from the hill, with two strikeouts as well. Trey Watson registered both a strikeout and a walk in a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his second save of the season.

CSU used a pair of runs in the second, as well as Obermark's leadoff homer in the third, to stake claim to an early 3-0 lead and never looked back. Cole's helped the visitors cut into their deficit with a one-out solo homer in the fifth, but the Cougars answered, and capped the scoring, with McClellan's one-out four-bagger in the sixth.

UNCP will be back in action again on Wednesday when they close out a short 4-game road trip against Barton (3-2) at Nixon Field in Wilson. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.