Late Inning Runs Help Eagles Take Two in Milligan Doubleheader
Waleska, GA - As the regular season is coming to a close, Reinhardt Baseball knows what it has to do in order to find its way into second place in the AAC. In today's doubleheader with Milligan University, the Eagles accomplished two-thirds of their series goals with just one game to go on Saturday.
The Eagles won game one 12-4 where they had full run production throughout the game. Game two was a little more nerve-racking as the Eagles would wait until the bottom of the sixth inning to get their first lead of the game and put nine runs on the board to win 9-2!
Game One
Game one was more of a typical game for the Eagles as they would pour on the offense against the visiting Bulldogs of Milligan. Tucker Zdunich and Nash Crowell would combine for 7 RBIs in the game with Zdunich getting 3 and Crowell 4. Crowell would get 3 of his RBIs on one swing of the bat that took a fastball over the left-field fence. He would go 1 for 3 for the game. Zdunich was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored.
Jarrett Burney would go 3 for 3 in the game with 4 runs scored and Zach Rabe was 2 for 5. Jackson Jarvis would homer for the first time this season.
Batting Highlights for the Eagles vs Milligan (Game One)
Reinhardt Pitching vs Milligan (Game One)
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COBEY ALLISON | 3.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| JORDAN HAMPTON | 2.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| HUNTER PAULSEN (W, 1-0) | 3.2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
Game Two
The story of game two is the pitching performance of starter, Ethan Foley, and the big sixth inning where the Eagles shut the door on the Bulldogs.
Foley was lights out for the Eagles striking out 11 batters and scattering 7 total hits in his six innings of work. Only one of the two runs scored was earned and he kept the game within striking distance until the bats woke up for the Eagles. Gabriel Sjostrom would come in the seventh to finish off the last two batters and record a strikeout.
Foley became the Eagles All-Time Leader in Career Strikeouts for Reinhardt Baseball. This is just one of several records that Foley has broken this season and he will go down as one of the best pitchers in Reinhardt Baseball history!
Reinhardt Pitching vs Milligan (Game Two)
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETHAN FOLEY (W, 1-0) | 6.1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| GABRIEL SJOSTROM | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 7.0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
Offensively, everything happened in the sixth inning for the Eagles. Up until the sixth, the Bulldogs kept the Eagles in check and would not allow a run on the board, however, everything changed in the sixth inning.
The inning was both the offense waking up for the Eagles and a few fielding/throwing errors allowed the Eagles to put this game away when things were not looking so good.
Here is the sixth-inning breakdown:
• Jamel Rookard reached first on an error by 2b, which scored Tucker Zduhich.
• Will Underwood would single to right field, which scored Jackson Jarvis and Sam Kilgore.
• Lance Dockery would hit one in the gap in left-center that scored Rookard.
• Jarrett Burney had a sacrifice fly to deep right field, which scored Underwood and moved Dockery to third base.
• Last, Nash Crowell sealed the deal with a homer to left that dropped just outside the tall left-field fence. This scored Tucker Zdunich, Jacob Profit, and Dockery.
It was a crazy inning that changed the whole outlook on the game. There was a point in the inning where you could see the momentum change to the Eagles and the look of despair on the faces of the visiting Bulldogs. It was a game that they most likely had if the Eagles did not get hot and create havoc on the base pads.
Foley and Sjostrom would finish off the top of the seventh and give the Eagles the much-needed second-game win. The two teams will play on Saturday afternoon for the final game of the series and the regular season. With a win, the Eagles will wrap up second place in the AAC and they will wait to see who their opponent will be for the AAC Tournament.