MONTREAT, N.C. - CIU baseball (19-16, 7-12 AAC) bounced back in a big way on Saturday to close out their Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series with Montreat College. After dropping game one on Friday, the Rams rallied for a thrilling 9-7 comeback win in game two before dominating game three 11-2 to secure the series victory on the road.
GAME TWO: CIU 9 Montreat 7: Montreat went ahead in the first inning, but CIU took the lead in the top of the third after a two-RBI single from Mason Turner. The lead was short-lived as the Cavaliers answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame to lead 6-2. Both teams went scoreless until Turner scored in the seventh on a passed ball. The Rams evened the score in the eighth after RBI doubles from Tanner Henderson and Maurice Gomez, but a solo shot put Montreat ahead 7-6 heading into the final frame. Colton Lopez was the difference maker for CIU, blasting a three-run homer to put the Rams ahead 9-7. The Cavaliers went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure CIU's comeback victory.
Box Score Highlights:
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Lopez led the team with three hits and three RBI.
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Turner and Henderson also recorded two hits.
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Darius Hatchette-Dunn was the most effective, allowing just two hits with six strikeouts, while Connor Kirkley recorded his first win of the season.
GAME THREE: CIU 11 Montreat 2: Lopez's bat stayed hot in game two, putting the Rams on the board in the second inning with a two-run homer. Montreat tied the game in the third with two solo shots, but the Rams hit three home runs in the fourth (Eric Doyon, Gomez, and Turner) to lead 7-2. Gomez and Turner homered back-to-back again in the sixth to extend the lead to 9-2. Gomez singled in the seventh for extra insurance runs to score two more runs. The Cavaliers singled to lead off the final frame, but a flyout and a double play ended the contest.
Box Score Highlights:
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Gomez and Turner led the team with three hits, including two home runs each.
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David Mora also recorded multiple hits with two.
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Drake Thames picked up his fifth win of the season, allowing just two runs in 6.0 IP.
Up Next: The Rams take on Spartanburg Methodist for a midweek contest on Tuesday, April 8, at 5 p.m. EST at Miller Field.