COLUMBIA, S.C.- CIU softball split an Appalachian Athletic Conference doubleheader with Pikeville on Friday afternoon, falling 5-4 in the opener before bouncing back with a 6-0 shutout in game two. The Rams battled back to tie game one late but could not complete the comeback, while CIU used a four-run fourth inning and a dominant performance in the circle to secure the win in game two. With the split, the Rams move to 18-6 overall and 3-3 in AAC play. 

Game One: Pikeville 5 CIU 4: The Rams struck first in the opening inning when Abigail Guthrie drove in a run with an RBI groundout. The Bears answered with back-to-back solo home runs in the second and third innings to take the lead, then added single runs in the fourth and fifth to extend the advantage to 4-1. CIU responded in the bottom half of the fifth. Caydon Thompson laced an RBI double to the gap to cut the deficit to two, and Guthrie followed with a two-run shot to left to tie the game at 4-4. Pikeville quickly answered with a go-ahead run in the sixth inning and held on the rest of the way, as the Rams were unable to plate the equalizer in the late frames, falling 5-4 in the doubleheader opener. 

Sophia Noriega-Mora and Hannah Murphy paced the Rams at the plate with two hits each, while Guthrie drove in a game-high three RBIs. Thompson's double marked her team-leading eighth of the season.

Game Two: CIU 6 Pikeville 0: Game two featured a pitcher's duel early, as the Rams managed just one hit through the first three innings. CIU broke through the scoreless stalemate in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on a Pikeville error and stringing together four hits to plate four runs. RBI knocks from Kami Meekins and Carmella Korte, along with a two-run double off the bat of Tristan Phillips, highlighted the rally and gave the Rams control of the game. CIU added insurance in the fifth when Murphy delivered an RBI single and Noriega-Mora lifted a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6-0. Both teams were held scoreless over the final two frames as the Rams secured the conference split.

Guthrie paced CIU at the plate with two hits, while Phillips drove in a team-high two runs. Phillips also leads both the Rams and the conference with 16 stolen bases. In the circle, Abby Ragan tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just one hit while striking out four over seven innings.

Up Next: CIU steps out of conference play to host DII opponent, Benedict College, on Tuesday, March 17, with a doubleheader slated at 4 and 6 P.M. EST.