Dorsey and Holthaus Combine for Seven Runs in 10th Inning Winner

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Reinhardt Baseball broke open a tie game with a seven-run outburst in the top of the 10th inning and defeated Spartanburg Methodist 10–4 in extra innings Thursday afternoon at Mooneyham Field.

Tied 3–3 after nine innings, the Eagles finally cashed in on a series of late pressure situations in the 10th. Cannon Dorsey ignited the decisive rally with a run-scoring extra-base hit that pushed Reinhardt back in front 4–3 and put more runners in scoring position. The inning snowballed from there, with a two-RBI sequence extending the margin before Sam Holthaus delivered the knockout blow — a four-run homer that capped the seven-run frame and staked Reinhardt to a 10–3 lead.

Spartanburg Methodist managed one run in the bottom of the 10th on a fielder's choice by Kohen Bridges, but the Pioneers could not mount a full comeback against a Reinhardt staff that navigated 10 innings without committing an error. The Eagles' pitchers scattered 11 hits and four walks while stranding 12 Spartanburg Methodist runners, repeatedly pitching out of traffic to keep the game within reach until the offense broke through.

Offensively, Reinhardt combined patience with timely hitting, finishing with 13 hits and 11 walks while leaving 18 runners on base. Holthaus headlined the attack, going 2-for-6 with four RBIs, a home run, and a run scored despite striking out three times earlier in the game. Dorsey turned in a complete performance with a team-high three hits, three RBIs, a stolen base, and a run scored, while Ryan Stephens added two hits, two RBIs, a walk, and a run. Cade Chamlee also had a good night, collecting two hits, a walk, and scoring twice.

Reinhardt's offense answered an early Spartanburg Methodist punch. The Pioneers struck first in the bottom of the first when Blake Exizian singled to right to drive in Matt Smith for a 1–0 lead. The Eagles responded in the second inning with a two-run rally, as Dorsey singled in a run and Stephens added an RBI on a fielder's choice to put Reinhardt ahead 2–1. After several scoreless frames, Spartanburg Methodist reclaimed momentum in the sixth, using an Exizian double and an Elijah Franz run-scoring single to move in front before Reinhardt pulled the game back level.

Reinhardt tied it again in the seventh when Juan Pablo Morales grounded out to bring in a run, evening the score at 3–3 in what became a battle of bullpens. Both sides stranded opportunities through the late innings, as the Eagles' lineup continued to put runners on but could not break through until extra innings. Spartanburg Methodist, meanwhile, was held scoreless from the seventh through the ninth despite consistent base traffic.

On the mound, Logan Lynch provided a steady start for Reinhardt, working 6.0 innings and allowing three earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and just one walk on 83 pitches. The Eagles' bullpen finished the final four innings, holding Spartanburg Methodist to one run and preserving the opportunity for the extra-inning surge. Spartanburg Methodist used 177 pitches over 9.2 innings and issued 11 walks, pressure that ultimately caught up with the staff during the decisive 10th. Riley Gaskins pitched two innings, Dawson Radik pitched the ninth inning and picked up the win, and Gray St. Amant finished out the bottom of the tenth after the seven runs were scored.

Reinhardt will take the win into Friday's doubleheader between the same two teams.  This is the Eagles' first conference win of the 2026 season and puts them on a two-game win streak after the big win at Faulkner University on Tuesday.