Sluggish Eagles Salvage Final Game at Rams
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
BLUEFIELD, Va. – The 17th-ranked Eagles got off to a slow start on the diamond on the road at Bluefield (Va.) on Friday, which helped the Rams split the doubleheader with Reinhardt, 2-0 and 6-4.
The hometown team (31-9, 15-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference) was able to salvage the last game after coming from behind with four runs in the top of the sixth inning – immediately following Bluefield's four tallies in the bottom of the fifth – that at the time gave the Rams a 4-2 advantage with two stanzas remaining.
"What happened today is what has happened for a while, we mixed in some more intense and tough softball for one doubleheader at Truett and here we are again," head coach Jade Geuther said. "We play like we think the number in front of our name is enough to win us games. Our challenges have absolutely nothing to do with our physical talents; we have that. Until there is a driving passion in every single person; until there is every person taking responsibility; until there is some sort of mental toughness; these are the results we are going to continue having."
The Eagles had six hits and two errors in the opening game and couldn't come through in the clutch with runners on base to put pressure on Bluefield. Jill Martinet was 2-for-3 in the opener, but only four other teammates could manage a hit against the Rams – who only surrendered one walk as well.
The Reinhardt bats told a different story in the rubber match, as the visitors woke up to the tune of 16 hits, although only six tallies came across the plate. The Eagles got on the board for the first time all day in the top of the second on a fielder's choice. Their cushion was doubled to 2-0 in the fifth on a Martinet RBI-single to right.
Bluefield would put Reinhardt in the danger zone in the bottom of the fifth, however, as it netted four runs on just one hit (two errors). The Rams took the lead on a fielder's choice, RBI-groundout and a 2-run homer.
The hometown squad got three-consecutive RBI-doubles (Emma Adams, Lauren Parker and Megan Huss) to take back the lead at 5-4. Emily Loveless then made sure to grab an insurance run to make the score, 6-4.
Huss and Loveless each totaled three hits in the win, and the duo had three other teammates nab two knocks apiece.
Whitney Shepherd got the victory in the circle with a complete-game effort and a pair of strikeouts.
The six-game road trip concludes on April 14 against Brenau (Ga.) in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.
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