Survive and Advance; Three Game Win Streak Pushes Eagles into the Final Day

Kingsport, Tenn. - Reinhardt continued the ACC Softball Tournament on Thursday with a pair of wins, rallying past Milligan 11-8 in Game 1 before closing the day with a 5-3 victory over Johnson. The decisive stretch of the doubleheader came in the fifth inning of both games, when the Eagles broke open each contest with the bats and then leaned on Anslie Pettit in the circle. Since losing their first game in the tournament, the Eagles have had their backs against the wall with no room for error.

In the opener, Reinhardt had to recover from an early deficit after Milligan surged ahead 6-1 through two innings. Milligan's big second inning included a two-run double by Mollie Johnson and helped put immediate pressure on the Eagles, but Reinhardt answered with two runs in the second, added two more in the fourth, and then turned the game in a seven-run fifth. Molly Stevens delivered the signature swing of that rally, tripling down the right-field line as Reinhardt seized control at 11-4. Ansley Hight finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored, and two RBIs, while Hallee Shirley also collected three hits, scored twice and drove in two. Reinhardt totaled 13 hits in the game and took advantage of three Milligan errors.

Pettit steadied the opener after coming on in relief and earned the win with 5.2 innings of work. She allowed six hits, three runs and struck out five, limiting further damage after Milligan's early outburst. Milligan did make late noise with two runs in the seventh, and Alana Parsons led that effort by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, but the Eagles' middle-inning rallies held up. Reinhardt finished with inning totals of two runs in the second, two in the fourth and seven in the fifth to erase the early hole.

Game 2 followed a quieter script early, with Reinhardt and Johnson locked in a scoreless game through three innings. The Eagles broke through in the fourth, then created separation with a four-run fifth. Ansley Hight helped spark the first run when she singled and later advanced on a wild pitch, and Reinhardt kept the pressure on in the next inning. Molly Stevens doubled to right-center and later scored during the rally, Hallee Shirley added an RBI single, and Kylie Freije finished with two hits, including a double and an RBI, as the Eagles built a 5-0 lead.

Pettit again handled the pitching duties and completed the second win from start to finish. She threw a complete game, allowed seven hits and just one earned run over seven innings, striking out four. Johnson answered with two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth, including an RBI single from Madison Hood, but Reinhardt kept the lead intact. Audrey Moorhouse had three hits for Johnson, while Kadie Presley added a triple and an RBI. Hight scored twice and drove in a run in the nightcap as Reinhardt finished with eight hits.

Reinhardt showed two different paths to victory, first overcoming a five-run deficit with a fifth-inning eruption, then backing a more controlled offensive effort with a complete game from Pettit. By the end of the night, the Eagles had scored 16 runs across the doubleheader and turned both fifth innings into the moments that defined the day.

Thursday's sweep kept the Eagles' postseason aspirations alive, but they will not have much time to enjoy their successes as the tournament continues with the final three teams still alive.  Truett McConnel is in the driver's seat with an unbeaten path so far, headed to the championship game.  They will have to be beaten twice by either team that faces them.

Reinhardt will face Bryan at 11 am on Friday morning, with the winner advancing to the title game with Truett.  Johnson University has the automatic bid from its regular-season championship.  With Johnson being out of the tournament now opens the door for one of these final three teams to be the second representative from the AAC to make it to the NAIA Opening Round. All games on Friday can be seen on Southeast Sports Network's YouTube channel (SESN): https://www.youtube.com/@SESNsports/streams