COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU baseball has run the gauntlet to start the season, and it has not gotten easier for the Rams since starting Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play. CIU started another series with a ranked opponent on Friday as they hosted No. 21 Reinhardt University (Ga.). The Eagles (9-9, 2-2 AAC) would get the best of the CIU (7-15, 0-7 AAC) by a score of 6-3 in a game that was tightly contested from the first pitch.
Reinhardt got on the board with a homer in the top of the first, but a Ward Hacklen RBI-single evened the score at 1-1 heading into the second. The Rams grabbed the lead (2-1) on an RBI-double from Britton Morris in the second inning, and then Joshua Hernandez gave the Rams the advantage once again (3-2) on a solo homerun in the fifth. However, CIU's bats went cold in the final four innings while the Eagles managed to tack on three runs before a groundout ended the contest in the bottom of the ninth, giving Reinhardt the win.
BOX SCORE NOTES:
- Justin Parish went a full nine innings on the mound for CIU with seven K's. Parish is currently third in the AAC in strikeouts with 37 total.
- Joshua Hernandez hit his fourth homerun of the year while Ward Hacklen went 2-of-4 at the plate.
- Britton Morris continues a solid freshman campaign as he notched his second double of the season.
Up Next:
CIU will continue their series with Reinhardt as they host the Eagles in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday.