Baseball squad falls in both games of AAC doubleheader at Tennessee Wesleyan, hosts 19th-ranked Faulkner in twinbill on Tuesday's Bill Popp Day
A nine-run first inning by the Bulldogs put them on top early in the first game. Reinhardt scored once in the third inning but TWC upped its lead to 11-1 in the bottom half and added another run in the fourth. The contest ended in the middle of the fifth inning due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Tennessee Wesleyan claimed an 11-4 advantage in hits and committed the only error in the game. The Bulldogs left seven runners on base and the Eagles two.
Don DiPetta was 1-for-2 with a solo home run for Reinhardt while Chuck Marsh finished 1-for-1. Freshman Andy Pringle went 1-for-2 with a double while Josh Wilson also ended 1-for-2.
In the pitching department, Ryan McDowell got the start for the Eagles and suffered the loss. Cory Cox, freshman Trent Sheffield and Ethan Starr each pitched out of the bullpen.
During the second game, Reinhardt led 1-0 before TWC plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Eagles went back ahead 3-2 with a two-run second inning but the hosts answered by scoring six times in the bottom half and never trailed again. Reinhardt tied the contest at 8-8 in the top of the third before Tennessee Wesleyan also scored five runs in the inning, taking a 13-8 lead. The Bulldogs tacked in single runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings.
TWC played error-free and outhit its guests 14-11. The Eagles were guilty of six errors leading to eight unearned runs for Tennessee Wesleyan. Reinhardt stranded nine base runners and the Bulldogs six.
Offensively for the Eagles, Brett Flick was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs while Billy King finished 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. DiPetta collected two hits in four at-bats with a walk, two RBIs and a run scored while Zach Kles doubled and drove in a pair of runs.
Jake Waters was Reinhardt's starting and losing pitcher after tossing 2 2/3 innings with a strikeout. Jay Huffman, Kendric McDonald and Sheffield were each used in relief. Sheffield allowed two hits and no runs over the final two innings.
The Eagles dip to 16-30-1 overall and 8-11-1 in the AAC while TWC is 33-18 overall, including 15-6 in conference play. Reinhardt hosts a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at 3 p.m. with the Faulkner University Eagles, who are ranked No. 19 nationally in the NAIA. Tuesday is also Bill Popp Day at Ken White Baseball Field with Popp, Reinhardt's head baseball coach, being honored after the games. Popp started the University's baseball program and spent the last seven seasons at the helm but will move away from coaching at the end of the campaign to focus on his duties of athletic director for Reinhardt's growing athletic department.