GRAYSON, Ky. - CIU baseball kept their Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) postseason hopes alive on Saturday when they downed Kentucky Christian in game three to take the weekend series from the Knights. The Rams dropped game two earlier in the day but bounced back for the critical victory. CIU now holds a 18-29 overall record and a 10-17 mark in conference action.
Game One (KCU 10 CIU 5): The Rams only run through four innings came from yet another Scott McDonough homer as CIU trailed 6-1 heading into the top of the fifth. A Colton Lopez RBI single added another run, followed by a bases-loaded walk to Collin Greer, which cut the deficit to 6-3. The Rams were only able to scratch across two more runs as the Knights were on the winning side of the 10-5 final score.
Box Score Highlights:
- Three different CIU batters posted a hit.
- CIU was walked 12 times, but the Rams left 12 runners on base.
Game Three (CIU 8 KCU 0): Like clockwork, McDonough got the scoring going in the top of the first frame with a 3-run blast that scored Greer and Lopez. CIU broke the game open in the sixth inning as Emmanuel Maldonado sent a fly ball over the right field wall to add a two-RBI home run to his season stats. Tanner Martinez followed Maldonado with an RBI single to plate Brandon Arnold. Lopez then took his turn chalking up an RBI double to score Aiden Pridgen. Collin Otte would prove too much for the Knights to handle in the bottom of the sixth and seventh as CIU blanked their opponent 8-0 in game three.
Box Score Highlights:
- McDonough now holds a team-leading nine home runs.
- Lopez went a notable 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI, while Martinez also had multiple hits with two.
- Deric Hanko and Otte pieced together the shutout as Hanko threw seven strikeouts in five innings. Otte pitched two innings of relief without allowing a hit.
Up Next: The Rams conclude the regular season as they return home to face Reinhardt (Ga.) in an AAC series beginning Thursday, April. 25.
