The 2020 Columbia International University (CIU) Rams are now in the history books with an opening win in their first home collegiate baseball game in the 97-year history of the school. The Rams baseball team came from behind to win 7-6 over the USC-Salkehatchie Indians in front of packed crowd Monday afternoon. Home fans were visibly excited with the contest win complete with an end game memory maker.
After the Indians took an early 2-0 lead, CIU power hitter Rob Bell blasted a shot to center field to bring in two
runs and tie the contest for CIU in the bottom of the second. That brought on catcher Josh Hernandez who gave the Rams their first lead of the game on a sacrifice fly, thus sending Carter Willis home in the bottom of the third. Later in the third inning, Buddy Bleasedale hit a line drive to get Shane Hammonds across the plate. Bell then knocked in Bleasedale to pick up another run and RBI.
After being silent for a couple innings, the Indians came back in the 6th and 7th innings to take a 6-5 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Rams turned to Shane Hammonds, who hit a drifting solo home run over the left field wall to tie the game and send the contest into extra innings.
Catcher turned closer Joshua Henandez struck-out four batters in the 9th and 10th innings to stop the Indians cold. In the bottom of the tenth, Bell lead off with a triple followed by a walk-off single from Trent Frye for the Ram victory.
Highlights:
Shane Hammonds, earned an RBI, a solo homer, and scored two runs. Rob Bell, picked up three RBI’s and four hits in five at-bats. Trent Frye had a game winning RBI, with a tenth inning single. Joshua Hernandez recorded seven strikeouts and allowed one hit in three innings.
The Rams will face the #1 ranked NCCAA Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs in Athens, Tennessee, Saturday, February 22nd, at 12 noon.
Michael Reed is Editor of The Standard.
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