Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Columbia, S.C. --- Although they have played numerous Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) opponents already this season, this past weekend marked the opening of the conference baseball season for the Clark Atlanta University Panthers as they traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, to do battle with the Benedict College Tigers in a three-game set. The Panthers' hopes of winning the series ultimately did not materialize, as they dropped all three games, 17-0, 18-5, and 18-7. 

The two teams kicked off the series with a single game on Saturday, one in which the Panthers were never able to find their offensive game, generating only three hits over nine innings in the loss. Benedict jumped out to an early 6-0 lead and never looked back in the victory. Robert Troiano got the victory for the Tigers, with Derrick Lott taking the loss for the Panthers. 

Game two on Sunday saw the Panthers fair much better on the offensive side of things, but were still unable to knock of the home team, as they lost 18-5. Malcolm Seabrooks hit a two-run double as part of a three-run inning in the top of the fifth for CAU, but they were unable to keep the scoring going over the final two innings of the seven-inning game. James Roman earned the victory for BC, with Joseph Holmes getting the loss for Clark Atlanta. 

The final game of the series on Sunday evening saw a much closer contest, that is until the end of the game. Going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Panthers trailed Benedict 6-5 thanks to RBIs by Deance Wyatt in the second, and Arias Smith, St. George Pink, Kendall Morrison in the third and fourth innings. Unfortunately for the CAU, they would run out of steam on the mound and in the field, as they saw Benedict score 12 runs in the bottom half of the inning in route to their victory.
 
The Panthers (0-13, 0-3 SIAC) will get a much needed break as they don't take the field again until this coming weekend, as they host SIAC foe Claflin University in a three-game set at Bill Evans Field in Atlanta, Georgia. Game times are set for 5 pm on Saturday, March 14th, and 1 and 4 pm for the doubleheader on Sunday. 

For more information, please log on to clarkatlantasports.com.