Baseball team splits pair of high-scoring AAC games at Bryan, travels to Bluefield for conference doubleheader on Monday
During the first game, Bryan erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the first inning before the Eagles put together a five-run third. The Lions increased their lead to 11-5 with three runs in the third inning but Reinhardt fought back by scoring three times in each of the sixth and seventh, sending the contest into extra innings tied at 11-11. After scoring twice in the top of the eighth inning, the Eagles held the hosts to one run in the bottom half.
Reinhardt finished with a 13-6 advantage in hits but its pitchers walked 10 batters. Bryan made four of the game's five errors. The Eagles left nine runners on base and the Lions six.
Michael Lonati went 3-for-5 with two runs scored for the winners while Billy King ended 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and three runs scored. Freshman Tucker Adams was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored while Zach Kles doubled, walked, drove in three runs and scored another. Jay Huffman added a double, walk, two RBIs and pair of runs scored.
On the mound for Reinhardt, Josh Wilson started before being followed by three relievers. Cory Cox picked up the win after yielding just one hit and one run with three strikeouts and a walk over the final 2 2/3 innings.
In the second game, Bryan again got out to a quick lead, this time after scoring six runs in the first inning. The Eagles got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the second inning but the Lions answered with three runs in the bottom, making the score 9-1. After each club scored twice in the third inning, Reinhardt scored seven runs in the fourth, trimming the deficit to 11-10. That would be as close as the guests would get, however, as Bryan later tacked on six runs (one in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and four in the sixth).
The Lions outhit the Eagles 15-10. Reinhardt committed three errors and stranded eight base runners, compared to one and seven, respectively, for Bryan.
Don DiPetta paced the Eagles at the plate by going 3-for-3 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored while Josh Wilson finished 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Kles went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Adams chipped in with a 1-for-2 effort that included a double, two walks and a run scored.
Reinhardt used five pitchers in the contest. Freshman CJ Oliva was the starter and suffered the loss while Kles faced the last two batters and retired both of them.
The Eagles are 12-19 overall and 5-4 in AAC play while the Lions are 21-13 overall, including 4-5 in the conference. Reinhardt travels to Bluefield, Va., on Monday for an AAC doubleheader against the Bluefield College Ramblin' Rams at 4 p.m.