Columbia International University Athletics

LAKE WALES, Fla. - The CIU softball team made its way to central Florida Friday night to play top NAIA opponent #19 Warner University. The Rams are coming off of a tough two losses to USCB last weekend, losing only by narrow margins. The Rams got off to a great start against Warner but could not hang on, as they would lose both games to the Royals. 

Game One: Warner 11 CIU 4 

• CIU got off to a strong start in the first inning, with a triple from Tanaya Ellis on the first at-bat of the game. Ellis would score two at-bats later, with an RBI single from Kaitlynn Creel to give CIU a 1-0 lead. 
• Warner University evened the score in the 3rd inning with a homer to left field to bring the score to 1-1. 
• The Rams answered with a score in the 4th, with an unearned run by Madison Swaney on an error by the Warner first basemen, giving CIU its second lead of the game. 
• Despite a great start, CIU would give up a three-run homer in the 4th inning, giving Warner a 4-2 lead. 
• CIU began to unravel in the 5th, as Warner scored five runs on six hits and three errors. CIU entered the 6th inning down 9-2. 
• However, the Rams returned fire in the 6th, scoring off of a Macey Drye's double. Later in the inning, Dyre would score an unearned run off of a Warner fielding error, closing the gap 9-4. 
• Warner would score two more runs in the 6th, beating CIU by a score of 11-4. 

Game 2: Warner 17 CIU 5

• After a disappointing loss in the first game, CIU hoped to get off to a strong start again. However, Warner picked up right where they left off, scoring ten runs in the first inning. The Royals earned this 10-0 lead off of seven hits and two errors. 
• The Royals extended their lead to 13-0 in the 3rd, after a three-run homer was hit to right field. 
• Warner didn't let up, as the last four runs of the game for the Royals came in the 4th inning, after six hits to widen the gap to 17-0. 
• Despite being down by a large margin, CIU attempted a comeback in the 5th. Kaitlynn Creel hit an RBI double up the middle to score Madison Swaney and Macey Drye. During the next at-bat, Shannon Patton hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Sarah Trawick in the process. Heaven Zamora blasted an RBI double to left field, scoring the Rams last two runs of the night in Shannon Patton and Kaitlynn Creel. The Rams would fall to Warner 17-5. 

Key Players 

• Kaitlynn Creel made an impact with three hits, three RBIs, and one run throughout both games. 
• Shannon Patton finished the day with two hits and one run. 

Up next: CIU stays in the sunshine state to play another top 25 team as they take on # 25 Webber International, tomorrow at 11 AM and 1 PM.