St. Andrews Surrenders Two to Reinhardt in Doubleheader
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
Photo Courtesy of Greg Spell/G-RoxPhotos.com
LAURINBURG, N.C. – Baseball went to North Carolina on Saturday and took the first two contests of its series with St. Andrews, 7-3 and 7-1, as Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action on the road opened up for the Eagles.
Reinhardt has now won three of four AAC contest to improve to 4-1 within the league and 14-6 overall.
"We didn't play our best, but we played well enough in big moments," head coach Jonathan Burton said. "We left too many guys on base with RISP and ran the bases poorly all day. We need to clean it up tomorrow and play better fundamental baseball.
"It wasn't all bad, as we did a lot of good on the mound and at the plate. I just have higher expectations for this group, and I want them to demand that of themselves and each other."
The scoring in game one didn't happen right away, but exploded onto the scene in the top of the fourth as the visitors leaped out to a 5-0 lead compliments of a Gianmarco Marcelletti grand slam and an RBI-double from Ben Heideman.
The Knights were able to get within three runs in the bottom of the sixth on a 2-RBI double of their own, but Reinhardt got them right back in the seventh on an RBI-triple from Xavier Arnette, who would later come home on an error.
St. Andrews brought across another tally in the eighth, but the deficit was too great to apply any pressure on the Eagles.
Andres Ugarte and Malique Foreman both had multiple hits in the opening win.
Jordan Hampton was victorious on the mound after six innings of work and two strikeouts, while allowing only two runs and a walk.
The hometown club registered five doubles and a triple – out of 10 hits – in game two as it scored a run in the first and a trio of tallies in the fourth and fifth frames. Reinhardt got on the board immediately on an error in the opening inning, and then both sides would stay quiet until the Eagles posted scores on a 2-RBI triple from Foreman and a Nick Sanders single to make it 4-0.
After the Knights got on the scoreboard with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fourth, Sanders (three hits) would bring in two more teammates in the fifth on a single to left-center field after Foreman (three hits) earned another RBI on a groundout.
Reinhardt pitching dominated in the rubber match of the doubleheader, as Daniel Dolensky got the win after five innings pitched and nine Ks.
The series wraps up on Sunday at Noon as the team goes for the three-game sweep.
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