Baseball team splits two games at Southern Wesleyan, hosts doubleheader with Shorter on Wednesday

February 26, 2011

CENTRAL, S.C. -- In a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, the Reinhardt University baseball squad split two games with the host Southern Wesleyan University Warriors, winning the first 9-8 before losing the second 10-2 at Dr. C. Keith Connor Field.

In the opening contest, Southern Wesleyan scored once in the first inning before Reinhardt put together five runs in the top of the second. The Warriors pushed two runs across in the third inning but the Eagles went on top 9-3 with three runs in the fourth and another run in the fifth. SWU battled back with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning and tallied four runs in the seventh before falling short.

Reinhardt had 11 hits and two errors while the hosts finished with eight and four, respectively. The Eagles left 10 runners on base and Southern Wesleyan five. Each team allowed three unearned runs.

At the plate for the winners, freshman Phillip Bates was 3-for-4 with two runs scored while Don DiPetta went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. Freshman Andy Pringle ended 1-for-2 with a run scored while freshman Tucker Adams scored two runs and drove in another after going 1-for-3 with a walk. Brett Flick came up with a hit, walk, two RBIs and a run scored.

Josh Wilson started on the mound for Reinhardt and got the victory after going six innings. Freshman Wil Hogan threw the final inning, facing four batters, in recording a save.

In the first inning of the second game, the Eagles took a 1-0 lead before the Warriors produced six runs in the bottom half. SWU upped the advantage to 10-1 after scoring twice in each of the third and fourth innings, and Reinhardt could only get one run back in the sixth.

The Eagles finished with an 8-7 edge in hits, but they committed five of the game's six errors, leading to four unearned runs. Each club stranded eight base runners.

Billy King collected two hits in three at-bats for Reinhardt while Zach Kles was 1-for-2 with an RBI. Bates and Jay Huffman each went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

The Eagles used six pitchers in the contest with freshman Jordan Villhauer starting and absorbing the loss. Taylor Smith, freshman Jeff Roberts, freshman CJ Oliva, Chris Fletcher and

Kendric McDonald combined to allow just four hits and no earned runs over the final 5 1/3 innings.

Reinhardt is 4-9 overall while Southern Wesleyan is 8-8. The Eagles host the Shorter University Hawks in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday. The first game is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Ken White Baseball Field.