COLUMBIA, S.C.— The Montreat baseball team began its 3-game Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series against the Columbia International University Rams Friday night in Columbia, S.C. While the Cavaliers held a pair of 1-run leads in the middle innings, a few crooked numbers helped the Rams sprint past the visitors to snag a 10-3 victory. With the loss, the Cavs dropped to 16-15 (9-7 AAC) on the season.
Both starting pitchers cruised through their initial three frames of work. While the Cavaliers were held hitless in their first three trips to the plate,
Case Jaworski limited the Rams to just a single hit over the same span. The Highland, Mich. native struck out five CIU batters to keep the ballgame scoreless entering the fourth.
Montreat opened the scoring in the top of the fourth after its first two batters reached base safely.
Jaider Morelos started the frame with a walk, and
Tarik Latchmansingh notched an infield single to place runners on first and second. After Morelos stole third,
Caleb Abshier handed the Cavs a 1-0 lead with his RBI groundout to second base.
Columbia International (7-19, 4-12) didn't trail for long as the hosts immediately took a 2-1 lead with a 2-run shot in the following half-inning; however, Abshier crushed a 2-run blast of his own in the top of the sixth and put Montreat back in front by a run, 3-2.
Not to be outdone, the hosts answered with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the frame, jumping ahead of the Cavaliers by a trio of runs (6-3) entering the final three innings of play.
Another 4-spot in the bottom of the seventh pushed Columbia International's lead out to 10-3. The Cavs placed at least one runner on base in the eighth and ninth frames, but Montreat couldn't plate anymore runners as the visitors fell at CIU by seven.
Latchmansingh registered two of the Cavaliers' four hits in the contest, while Abshier tallied all three RBIs.
Rawley Stinson pitched 1.2 innings of relief in the defeat.
The Montreat baseball team resumes its 3-game series at Columbia International University with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon. First pitch of game one is slated for 12:00 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.
