Pitching Struggles Again in Loss to Knights

Pitching Struggles Again in Loss to Knights
Box Score
May 7, 2021

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The Knights of St. Andrews (N.C.) got revenge on Reinhardt in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship on Friday morning, as they took out the Eagles, 10-9, after scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth to lock up the victory.

The hometown team ends postseason conference play with a 32-19 record after dropping back-to-back contests on the diamond.

"Certainly, I didn't expect us to be in this situation, but here we are," head coach Jonathan Burton said. "Outside of game one, we really pitched poorly, unfortunately. Offensively, we did enough to win but we made some big mistakes at the wrong time on the bases and in the field. Waiting is a difficult place to be in when you think about an opening round, but that is exactly what we must do.

"If it ends, this was a year that allowed us to develop many young players more than any other season I can remember. It would be a respectable season, but not a season to the standard of what we are trying to build here at Reinhardt."

For the second-consecutive AAC battle, the offenses ran wild all over the scoreboard. Dalton Turnbow had a sacrifice fly in the first for a 1-0 lead, but it vanished quickly following two scores by the Knights on a lead-off homer and a single.

The Eagles then responded in the top of the second with five runs – a bases-loaded walk, bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, another SAC fly, a bunt RBI and another bases-loaded walk.

Now down, 6-2, St. Andrews drew even in the bottom of the fourth with four more tallies thanks to a fielder's choice, a wild throw and a pair of base-hits.

The lead would again switch teams in the seventh after Xavier Arnette homered to left on a full count for a 7-6 score. Again, the position wouldn't last, however, as the Knights brought four more runners home in the eighth after a solo shot, 2-RBI single and another error.

The ninth inning got off to a strong start for Reinhardt, as Albert Mora jolted a 2-run blast to center field to get within, 10-9, but the threat would later end on three-straight strikeouts.

Arnette was 3-for-4 with three runs and a pair of RBIs. Mora went 2-for-3 as well in the loss.

The club will now sit back and await word on possible selection to the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round in the coming days.

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