ATHENS, Tenn. – After handing No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (22-2) their first loss of the season on Friday, CIU baseball added to the historical weekend by giving the Bulldogs their first series loss since February of 2020 on Saturday. The Rams dropped game one of the doubleheader 6-1 but were not to be deterred as they bounced back in game two of the day, shocking the Bulldogs 4-2. The victory also gives CIU (12-12) their first series win over an NAIA ranked opponent and their third win over a ranked opponent all-time.

How It Happened: CIU dropped the first game of the doubleheader because of a big 4th inning from the Bulldogs as the Rams fell 6-1. However, CIU had a game-changing inning of their own in the second game of the day to get back in the win column.

Sophomore pitcher, Trent Polly, kept the Rams in the contest and allowed them to stay within striking distance trailing only 2-0 heading into the 7th and final inning. 2020 Preseason NAIA All-American Gabe Austin led off for the Rams and was hit by a pitch to get on base. In the next at-bat, Robert Bell continued his streak of clutch plays, hitting a single up the middle. It was Buddy Bleasdale who turned the tide, however, as after a Kody Trujillo single, Bleasedale recorded a double to score both Bell and Austin. A balk from the TWU pitcher sent Trujillo home, and then a passed ball allowed pinch-runner Tucker Chapman to score. Leading 4-2 in the bottom of the inning, the Rams defense held as a Bleasdale to Trujillo double play ended the game, giving the Rams yet another monumental win.

Series Notes:

• Trent Polly was excellent on the mound in Saturday's second game, holding perhaps the nation's best offense to only two runs. Polly pitched the entire seven innings, recording two strikeouts and allowing only five hits while notching the win.Tennessee Wesleyan entered the contest averaging a little over 10.5 runs per game. The Rams held the Bulldogs to 11 runs the entire series.  
• Right fielder Robert Bell had four hits and three RBI's over the course of the series.
• Third baseman Buddy Bleasdale was quiet for much of the series but showed up when it mattered most, recording a double, two hits, and two RBI's in the series final game. Bleasdale was also the catalyst for the double play that won the Rams the series on Saturday.
• The Rams lone run in the first game came off Skye Fosters' first career homer.
• CIU baseball is the first CIU sports team to defeat a NAIA top ten team, let alone an NAIA No.1 ranked opponent.
• The average NAIA baseball team plays roughly 50 games a season. CIU has played only 46 games in its entire history and has already defeated an NAIA No. 1 ranked opponent twice.

What Coach Jonathan Johnson is saying:

"I couldn't be more proud of my team's resilience today. We faced some tough arms but fought to the last out. To walk into the number one team in the nation's house and go nose to nose with no fear tells you all you need to know about this ball club."

Up Next:

CIU will only have one day of rest until they take on Morris College at home in a doubleheader on Monday beginning at 2 PM.