SMC Baseball Takes Two from CIU

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Spartanburg Methodist College baseball team snapped a four-game losing streak with a doubleheader sweep of CIU, winning 12-11 and 4-2 on Thursday afternoon.

The Pioneers (18-17, 11-9 AAC) opened the day with a 12-run, 15-hit performance to outlast the visiting Rams in game one, despite CIU scoring the final eight runs of the contest.

Five Pioneers recorded multiple hits in the opener—Matt Smith, Blake Exizian, Brady Jeffcoat, Dario Astudillo, and Ty Harper. Jeffcoat led the team with two RBI, while five different players scored twice.

SMC jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the first two innings and extended its advantage to 12-3 with a seven-run sixth inning. The decisive run came on an RBI sacrifice fly by Jarian Pinckney, scoring Jeffcoat, who had doubled earlier in the inning.

CIU mounted a late rally with six runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. With one out and the tying run on second base, Nicky White closed the door, inducing a flyout and a groundout to secure the win.

In game two, the teams were tied 1-1 through the first two innings before SMC pulled ahead with three runs to take control.

Tanner Martin led the offensive effort in the nightcap, hitting his fourth home run of the season in the second inning to tie the game. He followed with a two-RBI double in the third to give the Pioneers a 4-1 lead.

CIU added a run in the fifth and threatened late, bringing the tying run to first base in the seventh inning. However, Travis Dannecker shut the door, recording the final out on a foul ball to Exizian at first base.

The series finale has been rescheduled and will now be played on Saturday, April 4 at 1 p.m. at Mooneyham Field.