LAURINBURG - After taking game two of their series with St. Andrews (N.C.) 5-3 on Saturday, CIU baseball fell in extra innings in game three 3-2. The split moves CIU to 18-16 overall on the year and 7-11 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action.

Game Two: CIU 5 SAU 3: The Knights sprang out to a 3-0 lead until the Rams' offensive got going in the top of the sixth. Three players hit by pitches helped drive home the first run for CIU, followed by a single from Maurice Gomez to bring home another run. A wild pitch and a groundout scored Bradley Garland as CIU led 4-3 heading into the seventh. CIU added an insurance run in the seventh on an Eric Doyon sac-fly as the Rams held on for the two-run win.

Box Score Notes:

• Garland and Colton Lopez each notched two hits, while Gomez, Doyon, Mason Turner, and Tre Williams all had an RBI.
• The Rams threw Noah Davis to start the game as the Chapin native gave up ten hits but tossed five strikeouts to pick up the win.
• Darius Dunn-Hatchette recorded five K's of his own to tally the save in four innings of action.

Game Three (Ten Innings): SAU 3 CIU 2: The Ram's only runs of the game came on a Gomez two-RBI double that tied the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth. The game extended three innings past its scheduled seven innings as both teams held two runs heading into the tenth. CIU managed to get Williams on base in the top of the inning but could not capitalize as the Knights walked the game off on an error in the bottom of the frame.

Box Score Notes:

• Drake Thames pitched the first five innings with three strikeouts, while Connor Kirkley was impressive in relief, throwing three innings with five strikeouts.
• Gomez notched two hits and two RBIs, while Tanner Henderson went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate.

Up Next: CIU will face the Screaming Eagles of Toccoa Falls College (Ga.) in a midweek road contest on Tuesday, April. 1.