COLUMBUS, Ga. – The AUM baseball team got an early home run from Kyle Hipp but was unable to hold the lead, falling to Columbus State, 8-3, at Burger King Stadium on Wednesday.
 
AUM (8-23) finished with 10 base hits but twice had double plays turned against them with runners in scoring position.
 
Landon Baeder went 3-for-4, while RH Frankland and Tucker Burns each had two hits for the Warhawks.
 
Lawrence Gallo (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on a pair of hits with two walks.
 
CSU (13-15) had just five hits but benefitted from six walks and three hit batters. N Davidson (1-0) was credited with the victory with two innings of hitless ball.
 
AUM struck first with two in the first as Braden York singled and scored on Hipp's team-leading sixth home run of the season.
 
Sellers Neuendorf made his first career start and pitched well, striking out three as he retired the first eight Cougars he faced. He was relieved with two outs in the third after allowing a single and a walk. 
 
The Cougars got to Gallo with back-to-back walks for their first run before Cole Eison hit a grand slam to right field for a 5-2 lead. 
 
CSU added to its lead in the fourth with an RBI double by Luke Miller.
 
In the eighth, Michael Cruz hit an opposite field single to right that scored pinch runner Luke Meszar before Miller delivered a batter later with a sacrifice fly to the warning track for an 8-2 margin.
 
The Warhawks scored a run in the ninth when RH Frankland reached on an infield single, moved all the way to third when the throw to first went into the bullpen and then scored on a wild pitch with two outs.

AUM will return to Gulf South Conference play this weekend with a trip to 25th-ranked West Florida. The teams will play a doubleheader on Friday at Jim Spooner Field beginning at 2 p.m. and a single game on Saturday at 11 a.m.