Eagles Late Rally Falls Short of Another Amazing Comeback Win

WALESKA, Ga. - Reinhardt Baseball nearly erased an early five-run deficit Friday afternoon, but the University of Pikeville (UPike) Bears held on for a 10-9 victory in a nine-inning game at Ken White Field.

The decisive stretch came in the opening four innings, when Pikeville scored four times in the first, added three more in the third, and pushed across another three in the fourth. Joe Gagnon delivered the first big blow with a first-inning home run that produced four RBIs and put Pikeville in front 4-0. Francis Subero added a three-run homer in the third, and Pikeville built its lead to 10-5 an inning later behind an RBI double from Garren Gledhill and an RBI single by Cole Fowler.

Reinhardt answered in stages and kept pressure on throughout the afternoon. The Eagles got on the board in the first, then broke through with four runs in the bottom of the third to cut the margin to 7-5. Brock Sisson highlighted that inning with a three-run homer to left, giving Reinhardt a needed response after Pikeville's fast start. The Eagles continued to chip away in the fifth, when Juan Pablo Morales singled home a run, and Cade Chamlee doubled in another to make it 10-7.

The comeback tightened again in the seventh. Reinhardt scored twice, first on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded that brought in Morales, then on Jackson Rains' sacrifice fly, trimming the deficit to 10-9. That left the Eagles one swing away, but Pikeville's bullpen closed out the final chances before Reinhardt could complete the rally.

Even in the loss, Reinhardt finished with a productive day at the plate, outhitting Pikeville 14-8 and drawing nine walks. Chamlee went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two walks, while Sisson's homer accounted for three runs. Morales figured into multiple key moments in the middle innings, and the Eagles also stole four bases. Reinhardt left 15 runners on base, a number that loomed large in a one-run game.

Pikeville leaned on multiple relievers after its early offensive surge. Isaac Berry earned the win with three innings of relief, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out two. Cole Carmichael recorded the final outs for the save. Pikeville finished with 10 runs on eight hits and one error, while Reinhardt committed two errors before a crowd of 100 in Waleska.

The two teams will face off again on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 12 pm and the second game beginning roughly around 3:30 pm.  The two games are important for the Eagles in the AAC standings, where a couple of wins could move them up a few spots with the conference tournament just one week away.  After the Pikeville series, Reinhard just has one series left with Truett McConnell that is scheduled for April 23rd and 24th. Presently, the Eagles are in eighth place in the standings, which would have them matching up against the fifth-place team, but there is much baseball to be played before that is settled.