COLUMBIA, S.C. – One strong inning can make all the difference in softball, and CIU proved just that today as they split the series with perennial Appalachian Athletic Conference contender Brenau University (Ga.) on a clear Thursday afternoon at the CIU Softball Field. The Rams would win the first game 6-0, but couldn't keep the momentum going in the second game despite a late comeback bid, and ended up falling to the Golden Tigers 6-4 to split the series. The game one win is just the Rams' second over Brenau in program history.
Game One: CIU 6 BU 0: The score was 0-0 until the bottom of the third, where Hallie Miller drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs to give the Rams a run. The Rams proceeded to knock in two doubles after that, thanks to Heaven Zamora and Shannon Patton. CIU never needed another run, and a complete game from Cissy Doolittle secured a shutout for the Rams.
Box Score Notes:
- Six CIU players had a hit.
- Cissy Doolittle had three strikeouts and no walks.
- CIU only had three runners left on base.
Game Two: BU 6 CIU 4: Brenau chipped away early with a run in both the first and second inning, but a strong four-run-fourth inning would set them up for a comfortable six-run lead. CIU didn't let up though and finally broke through in the sixth inning, where Hallie Miller hit a sacrifice fly to start a four-run effort for the Rams. Brenau was held to no runs in the top of the seventh, but CIU couldn't get more runs across in in the bottom of the inning.
Box Score Notes:
What Coach Sara Allen is saying: "Game one was one of the best games we have played all season. Cissy pitched great, and I thought we just had a solid defensive effort overall. I was really glad to see the team come out and compete well after such a long road trip last week. We came out flat in game two, but it was good to see that we had some fight in us, which allowed us to mount a comeback attempt."
Up Next: The Rams turn their attention to the current Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) leader Truett-McConnell (Ga.), who will visit on Saturday, Mar. 18. First pitches are 1 PM and 3 PM.
