COLUMBIA, S.C. - Clark Atlanta baseball won once in a three-game series at Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent Benedict College in the initial conference series of the 2016 season.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game 1 Score: Benedict 10, Clark Atlanta6
Game 2 Score: Clark Atlanta 9, Benedict 8
Game 3 Score: Benedict 16, Clark Atlanta 5
Record: Benedict (12-5; 2-1 SIAC), Clark Atlanta (5-18; 1-2 SIAC)
Date: Mar. 11-12, 2016

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1):
Clark Atlanta scored the first six runs of the game - once in the first and five times in the second - before 10 unanswered gave Benedict the win in the series opener.
 
Malcolm Seabrooks singled with two outs and scored on an RBI-Single by Michael Haywood, Jr. in the first inning.
 
The second inning saw CAU score five times on just three hits - Ryan Betts, Ayrton Gijsbertha, and Haywood. Haywood added two RBI with a single driving home Ceontae Brandon and Jason Howell.
 
Benedict responded with two runs in the home second before taking the lead with a six-run third inning. BC added one in the fourth and eighth for the victory.
 
Betts (0-5) took the loss with five innings pitched and nine runs allowed - seven earned - on 10 hits with one walk and one strikeout. Cedrick Garrett pitched the final three innings in relief with four hits allowed leading to just one run and striking out three batters.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAM E 2):
CAU plated three runs in the first inning. Joseph Holmes II scored the unearned run when an error allowed Haywood to reach base. Betts and Haywood later crossed the plate on a double from Randy Rudulph.
 
Benedict came back to score five in the first and once again in the second inning.
 
Both teams scored twice in the fifth inning, with the home team leading 8-5 after the fifth.
 
A four-run sixth inning concluded the scoring for CAU picking up the victory. Holmes, Seabrooks, Betts and Rudulph scored the game-winning runs.
 
Haywood started on the mound and tossed four innings before giving way to Jordan Johnson (4-2) to pick up the win in relief. Johnson allowed just four hits and one unearned run while striking out one batter.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAM E 3):
CAU scored twice in the visitor first inning when Gijsbertha connected on a 2-RBI single to score Howell and Holmes.
 
Benedict scored the next 12 runs before CAU added three runs in the sixth. Johnson delivered the first homerun of his career - Gijsbertha scored on the play. Garrett scored the final run on an error by the Benedict right fielder.
 
BC scored four times to end the game in the sixth inning.
 
Jezreel Moore (0-7) pitched the first five innings allowing 12 runs - nine earned - on 11 hits and three walks while striking out just one. Nicolas Mitchell pitched the final inning allowing four earned runs.

THE NUMBERS:
Game 1: 6 runs, 8 hits, 1 error
Game 2: 9 runs, 9 hits, 3 errors
Game 3: 5 runs, 12 hits, 2 errors
 
Gijsbertha led the Panthers with six hits on the weekend while Seabrooks and Howell tallied five each.
 
Seabrooks, Betts, and Holmes each scored three times .
 
Rudulph, Gijsbertha, and Haywood each had three RBI on the weekend.

UP NEXT:
Clark Atlanta will play a non-conference game at Georgia College on Mar. 12 before heading to Claflin on Mar. 19-20 for three more SIAC games.