Eagles Pick Up First Win of the 2026 Season in Day Two of Loyola Series

New Orleans, La. - In day two of the season-opening series with the Wolfpack of Loyola University, Reinhardt University Baseball seemed to have the same energy in game one of the doubleheader as they did in day one. However, the Eagles turned everything around in game two of the day, where they picked up their first win of 2026!  The win gave new Head Coach Brett Lindsey his first career win as a head coach!

Game One

The Eagles could not overcome Loyola's early extra-base barrage, falling 12-4 on Friday morning at Segnette Field in a game defined by a four-run second inning and a decisive five-run sixth by the hosts.

Loyola seized control in the bottom of the second, loading the bases before Drew Lee delivered the game's turning point. Lee ripped a three-run double to right field to cap a four-run frame and stake Loyola to a 4-0 lead. Reinhardt answered in the top of the third when Ethan Moore drove a solo home run, trimming the deficit to 4-1 and briefly shifting momentum toward the Eagles. 

Reinhardt continued to battle, scratching across a run in the sixth to make it 7-2 before Loyola responded once more in the bottom half. The hosts broke the game open with a five-run sixth, highlighted by a two-run double and an earlier RBI double. Those swings stretched the margin to 12-2 and effectively decided the contest.

The Eagles closed the gap slightly in the seventh, taking advantage of Loyola miscues to plate two unearned runs. Jackson Rains reached and brought in a run on an error, and Brock Sisson forced in another with a bases-loaded walk to set the final at 12-4. Reinhardt finished with four runs on five hits, drawing five walks and leaving nine runners on base, but could not come up with enough timely contact to erase the early deficit.

Moore provided the offensive highlight for Reinhardt, going deep for a solo shot and finishing with two runs scored and one RBI. Moore has the hot bat on the team, hitting his second home run in as many days.

The Eagles' pitching staff worked six innings and struck out seven, but eight walks and nine Loyola hits led to 12 runs, 11 of them earned. Loyola's starter T. Hakimian earned the win with 4.0 innings of three-hit ball, allowing one run while striking out six.

Game Two

In game two of the doubleheader, Reinhardt jumped out to an early lead and pulled away late, using a four-run first inning and three insurance frames down the stretch to defeat Loyola 9-3 on Friday afternoon at Segnette Field. It was a much-needed win after giving up forty runs in the first three games of the series.  

The Eagles seized control immediately, sending nine batters to the plate in the top of the first. Sam Holthaus forced in the game's first run with an RBI walk before Aiden Robles delivered a two-run single to center that was compounded by an error on the Greyhounds' center fielder. Juan Pablo Morales capped the inning with an RBI single, staking Reinhardt to a 4-0 cushion before Loyola had a turn at bat. That early jolt set the tone for an offense that finished with nine runs on 12 hits and never trailed.

Loyola chipped away over the middle innings to climb back into the game. In the second, Hunter Ponson lined a double and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Reed Duthu to make it 4-1. The Greyhounds pushed another run across in the third when Nathan McDonald reached and later scored, trimming the deficit to 4-2. McDonald then provided Loyola's biggest swing in the fifth, launching a leadoff home run to left to pull the hosts within one at 4-3 and briefly shift the momentum.

Reinhardt's pitching staff, however, kept Loyola from drawing even. Starter and winner Brock Weiss worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs with two strikeouts and one walk to open the game. The Eagles' bullpen followed to complete the full nine, and the staff combined to limit the Greyhounds to three earned runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Loyola stranded 11 runners, unable to capitalize on several scoring chances against a staff that threw 145 pitches but continued to make key outs under pressure. Weiss, Riley Gaskins, and Miles Morris combined for the three-run, five-strikeout win for the Eagles, bringing the team's record to 1-3.

The Eagles will head home and begin to prepare for their next series, which will be February 6th & 7th against Thomas University.  The Eagles will take this win against #7 NAIA-ranked Loyola University and build on it as this new squad of players gets its feet under them. It was a great win that shows that they can play with the best in the NAIA.