DAYTON, Tenn. - After battling rainy and windy conditions, CIU took the field for the first two games of their series against No. 14 Bryan College (Tenn.). After getting run-ruled in the first game, CIU put up a back-and-forth battle before ultimately dropping game two.
GAME ONE: CIU 4 BC 20: Bryan jumped on the board first, scoring in the second and third innings. Price Alexander and Rafael Gonzales picked up RBIs in the fourth inning to cut back the Lions' lead (7-2). Bryan responded with four more of their own, but CIU scratched out two more after a few pitching miscues to trail by seven. This would be the last time the Rams would score, and Bryan would stay hot and add nine more runs in the final two innings to complete the seven-inning run rule.
Box Score Highlights:
- Price Alexander led the Rams with two hits on the night, leading the team with 38.
- Six other Rams notched a hit in game one of the evening.
- CIU played solid defense with no errors.
GAME TWO: CIU 9 BC 12 CIU bounced back from game one and scored two runs in the first inning. Bryan added two of their own in the second and third, but CIU, thanks to a double from James Lovera and a single from Gonzales, jumped ahead again in the fourth (5-4). The Lions tied things up with a solo shot, but the Rams responded with four runs, highlighted by their own solo shot from Joshua Hernandez and a pinch-hit double from Emmanuel Maldonado. CIU led by four going into the bottom of the fifth, and Bryan's bats were too hot for the Rams to hold onto this lead. The Rams went scoreless in the last two innings to drop game two of the doubleheader.
Box Score Highlights:
- Lovera and Chase Hadley led the team with three hits and two RBI, respectively.
- Four other Rams collected a hit on the night, totaling 13 as a team.
- Hernandez hit his fourth home run of the season, putting him second on the team with 28 RBIs.
Up Next: CIU will complete its series against Bryan College (Tenn.) on Saturday, April 8th; time is TBD due to possible rain.
