WEST PALM BEACH., Fla. - CIU baseball played their fourth and fifth consecutive contests against NAIA top-ten ranked opponents on Friday as they took on No. 8 Keiser (Fla.) in a doubleheader. CIU (0-5) entered the day looking for their first wins of the young season but were thwarted by Keiser (4-2) in both games i

GAME ONE: KU 10 CIU 1: Offense came at sparingly for CIU as the Rams struggled to get on base for large stretches of the game. However, things did start out promising for the Rams in the first inning as a single from Grant Bodison put Carter Willis in scoring position as the junior's speed helped him get from first all the way around to third. CIU was unable to take advantage of the opportunity and would give up four runs over the course of the next six innings. Robert Bell would finally get the Rams on the board in the top of the seventh as the power hitter smashed a homer over the left-field wall. Unfortunately, the Rams did not score again, yielding six runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings. 

GAME ONE BOX SCORE NOTES

• Grant Bodison was the Ram's most efficient player at the plate as the shortstop picked up three hits in four at-bats.
• Robert Bell picks up where he left off in 2021, notching a his first homerun of the season.
• Justin Parish pitched a little over five innings sitting down eight batters while giving up three earned runs. 

GAME TWO: KU 12 CIU 4: Carter Willis and Grant Bodison led a solid start to the contest for CIU as they each picked up a single to start the game as CIU loaded the bases in the top of the first inning. Three runs would be the result of those loaded bases as the Rams the advantage all the way into the fifth inning. The Seahawks pulled ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but Buddy Bleasdale responded for CIU at the top of the sixth inning with a blast over the towering left-field wall for his first homerun of the season. Keiser bats exploded in the bottom of the inning, however, as the Seahawks rattled off eight runs, including a rare grand slam. The eight-run advantage was too much for CIU to overcome as the Rams fell 12-4.

GAME TWO BOX SCORE NOTES:

• Buddy Bleasdale led the way for CIU at the plate with two RBI's and a hit in three at-bats. 
• Ward Hacklin II , Grant Bodison, and Carter Willis each picked up hits.
• Robert Bell went 1-for-2 at the plate with an RBI while being walked once.
• Kody Trujilo's small strike zone proved effective for CIU as the South Carolina native reached base on balls twice. 
• The Rams sent four different players onto the mound in game two, three of which were underclassmen. 

Up next:

CIU is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 5, in West Palm Beach, Fla. as they play another doubleheader against Keiser beginning at 10 AM.