COLUMBIA - CIU baseball had a quick turnaround and took the field Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader to close the series against Point University (Ga.). Despite forcing extra innings in game two, the Rams would fall behind in both games to lose the series 3-0.
Game 1
Point 11 CIU 9: CIU took the lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs off an RBI double from Collin Greer. Kameron Dunlap held the Skyhawks hitless until the third inning when they added a run to bring the score to 2-1. Point tied the game in the top of the fifth after a hit and an error from the Rams. CIU responded by getting two base runners on in the bottom of the inning, but they could not push a run across. The Skyhawks took their first lead in the top of the six after scoring four runs to lead 6-2. David Mora answered with a two-RBI single to bring the score to 6-4, but Point continued to pull away as they added three more in the top of the seventh (9-4). Darius Hatchette-Dunn brought another run in in the bottom of the eighth to cut the Skyhawks' lead to 9-5. In the bottom of the ninth, Jordan Murphy hit his first homerun of the season to bring the Rams within two runs of tying the game. Pinch-hitters Austin Paradise and Jennings Greene hit RBI singles to tie the game 9-9, forcing a tenth inning. The Skyhawks add two more on three singles to take a two-run lead and three consecutive outs in the bottom of the inning to give them the win.
Box Score Highlights:
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Hatchette-Dunn and David Mora recorded two hits apiece, out of the 14 total.
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Murphy, Greer, and Mora chipped in two RBI each.
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Dunlap gave up one hit and struck out four in 3.0 IP.
Game 2
Point 9 CIU 2: Point quickly took the lead with two in each of the first two innings, but CIU cut their lead in half (4-2) after some pitching miscues and an error. The Skyhawks added five more between the top of the third and fourth, but the Rams held them to zero in the final three innings. Despite getting runners into scoring position in the final inning, they could not close the gap to drop game three.
Box Score Highlights:
Up Next: The Rams head to West Palm Beach, Fla., to compete with Keiser University in a four-game series Feb. 8-10.