Pettit No-Hitter, Hight Homer Power Eagles to Doubleheader Sweep of CIU

Reinhardt University rode dominant pitching and one big swing to complete a doubleheader sweep of Columbia International (CIU) on Saturday at Ken White Field in Waleska, Ga., edging the Rams 1-0 in the opener and 3-1 in the nightcap.

Game 1 belonged to pitcher Anslie Pettit, who threw a complete-game no-hitter to lift the Eagles to a 1-0 win. Pettit worked all seven innings, striking out six and not allowing a hit while limiting CIU to just three baserunners. The right-hander's performance made a single second-inning run stand up as Reinhardt opened the doubleheader with a shutout in front of an announced crowd of 50.

Reinhardt manufactured the game's only run in the bottom of the second. After Ansley Hight reached and gave way to pinch-runner Hallee Shirley, Shirley moved up to third on a wild pitch to put pressure on the CIU defense. Kylie Freije then delivered the decisive hit, lining an RBI single to left field to score Shirley and give the Eagles a 1-0 lead they would not relinquish. Reinhardt finished with four hits in the opener, while CIU committed one error and stranded three runners.

Pettit took it from there, facing minimal trouble the rest of the way. CIU's Isabella Davis was strong in defeat, going 6.0 innings and allowing just one run on four hits with two strikeouts, but her counterpart was nearly flawless. Pettit's no-hit effort anchored a clean defensive game for Reinhardt, which committed only one error and repeatedly converted routine plays to preserve the narrow advantage.

In Game 2, the Eagles' offense provided early fireworks, and pitcher Macy Langley made them stand in a 3-1 victory to complete the sweep. All three Reinhardt runs came in the bottom of the first inning when Hight launched a three-run home run to left field, staking the Eagles to a 3-0 lead. The homer, one of just three Reinhardt hits in the contest, proved to be the difference in front of a boosted attendance of 100 for the second game.

CIU answered in the top of the second, cutting the deficit to 3-1 when Kami Meekins grounded out to shortstop to score pitcher Gabriella Czuczuk from third. That would be the only run Langley allowed. The Eagles' starter scattered six hits over 7.0 innings, striking out two and walking none as she went the distance for the win. Reinhardt played error-free defense in the nightcap and stranded five CIU baserunners to back Langley's outing.

Across the doubleheader, Reinhardt pitchers were the story, combining for 14.0 innings, just one run allowed and no errors behind them in Game 2. Pettit's no-hitter in the opener and Langley's complete-game effort in the finale, paired with timely hitting from Freije in Game 1 and Hight's three-run home run in Game 2, gave the Eagles a sweep of CIU and momentum heading into the remainder of their schedule.