COLUMBIA, S.C. - Just a little over an hour after receiving the No. 6 power ranking in the NCCAA on Tuesday, CIU baseball completed a doubleheader sweep of NCCAA South Region foe, Bob Jones University. CIU defeated the Bruins 7-0 in game one and 4-3 in game two. The Rams move to two games above .500 with the wins as they now sit at 24-22 overall. 

Game One: CIU 7 BJU 0: After Joshua Hernandez scored on an error, Gabe Austin would continue a monster hitting streak with a two-run homer giving CIU the 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st inning. Hernandez added to his own home run total for the Rams next run as the Columbia native homored to left field, putting CIU up 4-0 in the 5th. Not to be outdone, Austin followed Hernandez later that inning with a two-run deep shot over the left-field wall as the Rams took a 6-0 advantage. The Rams final score also came in the 5th as Bryce Spittle notched an RBI on a double that scored Price Alexander. Christopher Seelbach completed the shutout for CIU on the mound in the 7th inning as the Rams closed out the Bruins 7-0.

Game Two: CIU 4 BJU 3: A walk with the bases loaded early allowed for a Robert Bell run to be scored, putting CIU up 1-0 in the bottom of the 1st. CIU would exit the inning up 3-0 as Gabe Austin and Kody Trujillo each crossed home plate after an Austin Paradise grounder caused hesitation from the Bruin infield allowing both players to score on the fielder's choice. Bob Jones responded, however, as they added a run in the 3rd and two in the 4th to tie the game at 3-3. The game would come to an anticlimactic conclusion as both Robert Bell and Hernandez were hit by pitches in the bottom of the 5th, and Hernadez eventually scored on an Alex Miller walk with the bases loaded. Pitcher Chrisitan Orr held the Bruins offense in check in the final two innings, and CIU pulled out the 4-3 win. 

Doubleheader Notes:

• CIU is now 11-0 against NCCAA opponents this season.
• Gabe Austin becomes the second CIU player in program history to hit double-digit home runs in a season as the senior added his ninth and tenth homers of the year. 
• CIU picked up their fourth shutout of the season as four different pitchers combined to achieve the feat. Jan Maldonado led CIU in strikeouts with three as Noah Moody notched his first win of the season. 
• Joshua Hernadez added his 14th home run of the season as he continues a stellar junior season. 
• Matthew Flanagan was impressive in game two with eight strikeouts in four innings. 

What Coach Jonathan Johnson is saying: "Brent Casteel is doing a great job at Bob Jones. We were very fortunate to get the second win today. It was great playing a team with so much class. 

Up Next: CIU will take on Truett McConnell in an Appalachian Athletic Conference series beginning on Friday in Cleveland, Georgia.