COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU baseball welcomed No. 9 Tennessee Wesleyan University to Miller Field on a warm Friday night to open another Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series. The first three innings went back and forth, but the Bulldogs took control in the fourth and held on for a 6-3 win. With the loss, the Rams move to 8-7 in AAC play. 

Game One: TWU 6 CIU 3: Tennessee Wesleyan struck first in the opening inning, capitalizing on a hit-by-pitch and an error to take a 1-0 lead. CIU answered in the bottom half as Aiden Pomnitz delivered an RBI single to score Daniel Sidoti and even the score. The Bulldogs regained the lead in the third with two runs, but the Rams responded again as Corbin Wright launched a two-run home run to tie the game at 3-3. 

The momentum shifted in the fourth inning when Tennessee Wesleyan plated two runs to take a 5-3 advantage, and a sacrifice fly in the sixth added an insurance run to extend the lead to 6-3. CIU was unable to generate offense after the third inning but threatened in the ninth as Jennings Greene drew a walk and Hunter Cheslak followed with a single to right field. The late push fell short, however, as the Bulldogs closed out the 6-3 victory.

Wright and Pomnitz led the Rams with two hits apiece, with Wright's two-run homer highlighting the offense. Sidoti, Cheslak, Eli Musgraves, and David Mora each added a hit as CIU outhit Tennessee Wesleyan 8-6.

On the mound, Miller Stuck struck out three over 5.2 innings, while Matthew Garris allowed just two hits across 3.1 innings in relief. Despite the strong outing from the bullpen, walks and hit-by-pitches proved costly, as four of Tennessee Wesleyan's six runs came from batters who reached without recording a hit.

Up Next: CIU closes out the weekend series against No. 9 Tennessee Wesleyan University with a doubleheader tomorrow, Saturday, March 21, beginning at 12 P.M. EST.