COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU softball split its Friday slate at home on day one of the Cola Classic, suffering its first loss of the season in a narrow 2-1 contest against Alice Lloyd College before responding with a 19-6 offensive outburst over Ohio Christian University. The split moves the Rams to 7-1 on the year, as they combined for 24 hits on the day and closed the evening with a dominant showing at the plate.

Game One: ALC 2 CIU 1: The Rams broke through in the bottom of the second inning. Lilli Petty sparked the offense with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on a passed ball. Hannah Murphy followed with an RBI single to right field, plating Petty and giving CIU a 1-0 lead. Isabella Davis kept Alice Lloyd off the board through six innings, scattering just two hits. In the top of the seventh, the Eagles strung together three hits to take the lead. A pair of runners reached before a two-RBI single to center field, putting Alice Lloyd ahead 2-1. CIU threatened in the bottom half of the inning after Murphy recorded her second hit of the game, but the rally fell short as the final groundout sealed the one-run decision.

Murphy led the Rams at the plate, going 2-for-3 with the team's lone RBI, while Petty added a double and scored the only run. Davis tossed a complete game, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out five.

Game Two: CIU 19 OCU 6: CIU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and extended the advantage in the second when Katie Rhyne launched a two-run home run to left field, scoring Caydon Thompson to make it 3-0. The Rams added another run in the third as Gabriella Czuczuk doubled to left center to plate Lilli Petty. After the lead narrowed to 6-5 in the middle innings, CIU responded with its biggest frame of the night in the fifth. A bases-loaded walk by Rhyne brought in one run before Kami Meekins ripped a two-RBI single up the middle. Czuczuk followed with a three-RBI double to center field, stretching the lead to 12-5. The Rams continued to pour it on in the seventh with seven more runs. Brenna Fasching delivered a two-RBI double, Czuczuk added a two-RBI single, and Raleigh Stewart capped the scoring with a two-RBI base hit to secure the 19-6 victory. 

Czuczuk paced the offense with three hits and six RBIs, while Stewart collected three hits and drove in two. Rhyne finished with a home run and three RBIs, and multiple Rams recorded multi-hit performances. Abby Ragan earned the win in relief, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to help seal the win. 

Up Next: The Rams close out the Cola Classic, taking on Point University and Brewton-Parker Christian tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 14, at 3 and 5:30 P.M. EST.