Opening Weekend for Baseball ends in a redemption style sweep over CIU
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb. 3, 2024) - The Point University Baseball opened their 2024 Season on the road against former Appalachian Athletic Conference foe, Columbia International University where the Skyhawks swept the Rams in a rematch from the AAC Tournament.
Game One- 11-0 Win
The Baseball team opened the top of the first inning with a double to left center from Slade Mink for the RBI to have Silas Butler score to put the Skyhawks ahead 1-0. The Skyhawks continued to give CIU a challenge as Chris Mancill advanced home after the sacrifice fly from Sam Baker. Point added two more runs as the double from Rafael Jackson would advance Zeb Baird and Mason Davis home for the 4-0 lead. The Skyhawks picked up the intensity more as a single from Mason Davis would advance Daniel Gonzalez home. The Rams could not match the firepower of the Skyhawks as they were held scoreless and Point added six more runs to shutout CIU with a Friday night 11-0 win to set the tone for the weekend series.
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silas Butler cf | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaden Mazzaferro ph | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rafael Jackson rf | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Nathaniel ph | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Slade Mink lf | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Alex Marquand c | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Daniel Gonzalez 3b | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Chris Mancill dh | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Martin dh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Davis 2b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Trent Sheppard ph | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zeb Baird 1b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Sam Baker ss | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaysen Dower ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Seiwert (W, 1-0) | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Gene Aberoutte | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Justin England | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Rafael Perez | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
Game Two- 11-9 Win
Columbia International opened the bottom of the first inning with a 2-0 lead with intentions of wiping their previous performance away. As both teams entered the third inning, Sam Baker put the first run on the board as he advanced home on a passed ball to cut the lead to 2-1. The Skyhawks tied the game at two as Point came out of the fifth inning with one run and one hit. Point took a four-run lead as Sam Baker, Zeb Baird, and Daniel Gonzelez each scored after errors from the Rams in the infield. CIU did not stay too far as the Rams added two runs in the bottom of the sixth bringing the score to a 6-4 Skyhawk lead. As Point added two runs, CIU came striking back to tie the game at nine with multiple singles and a home run. As both teams entered the 10th inning, an error from the Rams scored Rafael Jackson on a passed ball and an RBI single from Daniel Gonzalez to advance Slade Mink home. Three quick outs for the Rams saw Point take game two with an 11-9 win.
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silas Butler cf | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Rafael Jackson rf | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Slade Mink lf | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden Mazzaferro dh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Justin Robinson ph | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Daniel Gonzalez 3b | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Mason Davis 2b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jaysen Dower ph | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Zeb Baird 1b | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Trent Sheppard ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Easton Harrison c | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Chris Mancill c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sam Baker ss | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julio Lopez (W, 1-0) | 5.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Austin Tebo | 0.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Beasley | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Carson Curry | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Cooper Hack | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joshua Castillo | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Sage McWaters (Sv, 1) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 10.0 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 10 |
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Game Three- 9-2 Win
Point picked up where they left off in Game Three by adding two runs in the top of the first inning to lead 2-0. With runners on base, Rafael Jackson singled to center field which scored Sam Baker and Jaysen Dower home to extend the lead to 4-0. The bottom of the second inning served as the only two runs scored from CIU from an RBI single to left field and a hit-by pitch advance to trail 4-2. Zeb Baird added fuel to the fire with a three-run homer to stretch the lead to 7-2. The final two runs came in the top of the fourth with Silas Butler and Rafael Jackson scoring the run final two for Point. The Rams added three more hits in the game but would not be able to convert as the Skyhawks took the sweep over CIU.
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silas Butler cf | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Rafael Jackson rf | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Slade Mink lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mason Davis 2b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaysen Dower 3b | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Gonzalez 3b | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Martin 2b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Zeb Baird 1b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Justin Robinson dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Trent Sheppard ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Easton Harrison c | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden Mazzaferro ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Baker ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Nathaniel ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxime Beaulieu (W, 1-0) | 3.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Daniel Crabtree | 2.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Peyton McKinney | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 7.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
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Up Next
The Skyhawks return to action for their home opener on Friday, February 9th and 10th where Point will take on Johnson University-Tennesse and Olivet Nazarene. Friday's games for Point will begin at 2:30 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. Saturday's games for Skyhawk Baseball will begin at 11:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.