Baseball Takes Game Three Over Union, 7-5

Baseball Takes Game Three Over Union, 7-5
Box Score
March 14, 2021

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – Seven runs in the first three innings, including a four-spot in the game's opening at-bat, was all the 17th-ranked Eagles needed to secure a road sweep over the Bulldogs of Union (Ky.) on Sunday afternoon, 7-5.

The hosts tried to claw their way back in the middle innings after posting at least one run in four-consecutive frames, but Reinhardt was able to hold on to improve to 14-8 overall (4-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).

"Sweeps are hard to get and getting them on the road is even tougher," head coach Jonathan Burton said. "When you are up seven after three innings in game three, we have to keep the pressure on and not get complacent. We were fortunate to pull today out as we went on cruise control for the final six innings.

"I just want our guys to understand there is a standard we are trying to set in this program. We have a good team and we don't need to just say we have a good team and expect teams to lay over, we need to continue to show that we have a good team and finish teams off. We gave them hope today, and eventually that will bite you when you aren't finishing off teams earlier in the game."

Gianmarco Marcelletti singled to right to get the scoring started for the Eagles in the bottom of the first, and he was followed up by a 2-RBI double to deep right-center from Dalton Turnbow for an early 3-0 advantage.

The lead later moved to 4-0 after another error by the Bulldogs added another tally.

Jarrett Burney made it 5-0 in the top of the second with an RBI-single that brought Jacob Profit around to score. The runs didn't stop there for Reinhardt, either, as it collected two more in the top of the third – a Xavier Arnette blast to the opposite field – to run the scoreboard up to 7-0.

The Bulldogs avoided the shutout in the bottom of the fifth after they got two runs on a pair of singles. The momentum for Union continued into the sixth, seventh and eighth innings with single tallies in each frame.

Union got two runners on with a chance to tie or even win the game in the bottom of the ninth, but a swinging strikeout ended the threat and preserved the AAC sweep.

The Eagles gathered 10 hits and two errors in the victory.

Individually, Turnbow and Profit (three walks) grabbed a pair of hits each.

Ethan Foley got the victory on the mound after five innings and four strikeouts. He allowed just two runs in the triumph.

Conference play continues at home this coming weekend with a three-game series against the Cavaliers of Montreat (N.C.).

First pitch on Friday is set for 5 p.m.

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