BLUEFIELD, Va. -- The Bluefield College baseball team had its season on the line following a 5-1 loss to Bryan College in the opening game of Friday's doubleheader, but a complete game from Cory Niten helped the Rams claim a 4-3 victory in the series finale at Bowen Field. The day also served as Senior Day for the Rams, as the team honored its 12 seniors between games.

The split allowed Bluefield to finish the regular season at 24-24, meeting its declared winning percentage to compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association's (NCCAA) postseason, beginning with the Mid-East Regional. Lee University is scheduled to host regional play, slated for May 12-16 in Cleveland, Tenn.

The 1-1 afternoon moved the Rams' Appalachian Athletic Conference record to 8-19 for the season. The Rams are currently tied with Truett-McConnell College for eighth place in the win column, but the Bears have seven conference games remaining due to rescheduled games and own the tiebreaker having defeated Bluefield in two-out-of-three games. Only the top eight teams advance to postseason play in the conference, leaving the Rams just outside the mark.

Bryan moved to 37-15 overall and 15-10 in AAC play with the split.

Game 1
Typically a reliever for the Rams, Dylan Ruth (1-5) took the start in game one and nearly tossed a complete game. The junior went 6.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits while striking out four.

Bryan jumped on the leaderboard in the third, thanks to Preston King's 13th home run of the season--tying him for the conference lead.

The Rams responded with one run in the bottom half, coming on a Tyler Rome solo home run to left field.

The Lions tacked on a pair of runs in the seventh and their ace Kenny Knudsen (12-1) closed out the four-hit complete game.

Game 2
Ryan Lawson opened game two with a deep shot to right-center field, resulting in a triple off the wall. A Chris McCollister groundout to the right of the infield scored Lawson to give Bluefield a 1-0 lead.

Niten allowed just a pair of baserunners through three innings, while the Rams added two more runs on three hits in the third. Rome began the frame with a single, then both Lawson and McCollister bunted for singles to load the bases. A sacrifice fly from Jacob Schober plated Rome. Lawson advanced to third on the throw to the infield and then scored on a balk, placing the Rams up 3-0.

Bryan came back with a quick run in the fourth, as a double and a single to open the frame cut into BC's lead. The damage was limited though, as a Timmer-McCollister-Dan Copeland double play wiped the bases clean before a fielder's choice later ended the frame.

Copeland pushed Bluefield's lead back to three with a solo home run to left field in the fourth.

The Lions answered again, though, as Kevin Roberts hit a two-run homer over the right field fence.

Bluefield looked to extend its lead again in the fifth, but left the bases loaded.

However, Niten (5-3) continued his strong outing and allowed just one base runner over the final two frames, securing the 4-3 win for Bluefield. Niten notched his second complete game of the season, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out four. L.J. Rowden (6-3) took the loss for Bryan, going four innings and allowing four runs on six hits.

More information regarding the NCCAA regional will be available when the field is set.