PIKEVILLE, Ky. - CIU baseball split a Saturday doubleheader with Pikeville, falling 7-5 in game one before bouncing back with an 8-0 shutout victory in game two. With the split, the Rams move to 10-10 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play, while head coach Rocke Musgraves sits just one win shy of 800 career victories.
Game Two: Pikeville 7 CIU 5: Pikeville struck first with a solo home run in the second inning and broke the game open with a three-run third to take a 4-0 lead. The Bears added two more in the fourth to extend the advantage to 6-0 before the Rams responded in the sixth. CIU cut into the deficit as Aaron Guthrie delivered an RBI double and Eli Musgraves followed with an RBI on an error to make it 6-2.
The Bears added an insurance run in the eighth to push the lead to 7-2, but the Rams mounted a rally in the ninth. Kai Smith drew a walk to start the inning, and CIU capitalized with RBI singles from Daniel Sidoti and Corbin Wright before adding another run on a double play to trim the deficit to 7-5. However, the comeback fell short as Pikeville closed out the win.
Jennings Greene led the Rams at the plate with three hits, while Guthrie and Wright each recorded two. Sidoti and Musgraves added RBIs as CIU finished with 12 hits in the contest. Grayden Ross provided solid relief, allowing just one run over the final 4.2 innings to keep the Rams within striking distance.
Game Three: CIU 8 Pikeville 0: After two scoreless innings, CIU broke through in the third as Corbin Wright drove in a run with a double and Aiden Pomnitz followed with an RBI single to give the Rams a 2-0 lead. CIU added another in the fourth when Kai Smith delivered an RBI double to extend the advantage to 3-0.
The game remained in control for the Rams before they broke it open in the seventh inning. CIU plated five runs in the frame, highlighted by a bases-clearing triple from Chance Weathersbee and additional runs coming across on a wild pitch and a defensive miscue to push the lead to 8-0.
The Rams totaled 10 hits in the contest, with Kai Smith, Jennings Greene, Corbin Wright, Pomnitz, and Weathersbee each recording multiple hits or RBIs. Weathersbee led the way with three RBIs, while Smith, Wright, and Pomnitz each drove in a run. On the mound, Matthew Garris was dominant, tossing a complete-game shutout while allowing just three hits and striking out two to earn the win.
Up Next: CIU steps out of conference play to host Voorhees University (S.C.) on Tuesday, March 31, with a doubleheader at 5 and 7 P.M. EST.
