GREENVILLE, S.C. - CIU baseball took a trip to the upstate on Tuesday to take the field against Bob Jones University (S.C.) at Fluor Field, home to the Greenville Drive, a High-A East affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. After four pitchers and multiple defensive miscues, the Rams fell to Bruins for the first time in program history.
CIU 8 BJU 9: Things seemed bright for the Rams as they pushed two across in the first inning after three singles and two walks to take an early lead. CIU held Bob Jones scoreless until the fourth inning, when they allowed two runs to tie up the game. A double from Joshua Hernandez in the fifth would bring James Lovera across home plate to give the Rams the advantage once again. CIU tacked on three more runs in the sixth to extend their lead, but the Bruins responded with three of their own to close the gap (6-5). Bob Jones' kept things rolling in the bottom of the seventh with four more earned runs between two Rams pitchers. CIU scratched back two in the eighth, but a diving catch with bases loaded kept the Bruins in front. Ryan Planas led off the ninth with a walk but could not get past second base as the next three batters were sat down as CIU fell 9-8.
Box Score Highlights:
- Hernandez, Lovera, and Rafael Gonzales led the Rams each with three hits and four combined RBIs.
- Two other Rams notched a hit tonight, giving the team 11 on the evening
- Hunter Garris got the start with three strikeouts, Jake Lewis gave up no earned runs and struck out three, while JT Stanley struck out four in 2.0 IP.
Up Next: CIU hosts Bluefield University (Va.) for another conference series this weekend, Mar. 17-18. Game one will be Friday at 5 PM, while games two and three will be Saturday at 12 and 3 PM.
