DAVIDSON, N.C. — Columbia Baseball (1-3, 0-0 IVY) opened its four-game weekend at Davidson (8-1, 0-0 A10) dropping a close game, 5-2, getting four strong innings from the bullpen, but were unable to get the bats going in the Friday night matchup at Wilson Field.
 
Columbia's bullpen, with outings from Saajan May and Camron Hubble, gave Columbia four scoreless innings, keeping them in the game.  But Columbia left nine on base through the game, missing out on the opportunities to score as Davidson's bats gave them a lead early that they held onto.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Sean Higgins (1-1) took the bump for the start and was not as sharp as he was in the season opener, tossing four innings, giving up five earned runs on six hits.  Davidson got the scoring started in the first, after Higgins got the first two outs, but a hit by pitch and a walk gave the Wildcats life and they eventually worked a runner around to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Davidson added to its lead in the third inning, on a solo home run from Michael Carico and in the fourth they scored their final three runs on three hits, which included a two-run homer from Parker Nolan.  Those would be the five runs that the Wildcats would need to hold off the Lions, but thanks to Columbia's work from the pen it would be the only runs they would get.
 
The Lions did get runners on base over the first three innings, but they left the bases loaded in both the second and third innings, which became missed opportunities to stay with Davidson's scoring.  But when May took the mound in the fifth, his three innings of scoreless work kept Columbia in the game, and along with Hubble's inning of work in the eighth, it set the Lions up with a shot at pulling off the comeback.
 
Columbia finally got on the board in the eighth inning, thanks to a leadoff walk from Andy Blake, followed by a single to left from Cole Hage.  A wild pitch advanced the runners and with no outs the Lions had a pair in scoring position.
 
Hayden Schott and Anton Lazits both smacked RBI grounders to score both Blake and Hage and entering the ninth inning Columbia had put themselves in striking distance. 
 
The scrappy Lions opened the inning with back-to-back singles from Joshua Solomon and Griffin Palfrey, but over the next three batters the Wildcats would get the three outs they needed to record the save and wrap up the 5-2 series opening win.
 
GAME NOTES: Hayden Schott extended his season opening hitting streak to four games … Hage added to his hitting streak, extending it to three games … Blake extended his hitting streak to two games … May's three inning outing ties for the second longest of his career.
 
UP NEXT: Columbia to action tomorrow with the first doubleheader of the season, with the first game against Davidson starting at 2 p.m. and the second scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.
 
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