Softball Splits With Middle Georgia State in Opening Doubleheader

Softball Splits With Middle Georgia State in Opening Doubleheader
Box Score Box Score

Team Stats

February 1, 2020

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media

COCHRAN, Ga. – The 2020 season got underway Saturday for Reinhardt softball, and the Eagles bounced back from a walk-off defeat to Middle Georgia State (7-6; 8 innings) with a 10-4 decision to earn a split against the Knights.

The hometown team (1-1) combined for seven errors in the first two games of the year, but used a strong approach at the plate to finish off the afternoon feeling good after the opening weekend on the diamond.

"It was an adventure on the defensive side of the ball tonight and that is putting it politely," head coach Jade Geuther said. "Even if it didn't show up as an error in the book, I don't recall many plays we made clean; and we compounded that by choosing to be silent. But, our offense was great and our pitchers handled themselves amazingly with what was happening behind them. Going into today, defense and communication would have been the least of my concerns.

"The good thing is we were great everywhere else so we know exactly why we dropped a game, and that will make the focus at practice over the next few days very easy."

Kayla Laukka immediately put her team ahead, 2-0, compliments of a 2-run homer in the top of the first in game one. Middle Georgia State would get the bout all-square in the bottom of the frame, however, after a sacrifice bunt and a single. In the bottom of the third, a single and a wild throw put the Knights in front for the first time, 4-2, but then the Eagles would respond with a pair of runs of their own in the fifth on a Witney Bones SAC fly and an Olivia Jacobs base hit.

The teams would head to extra innings – and fireworks went off in the eighth – as the visitors got another SAC fly and an RBI-single to move in front again, 6-4, heading to the bottom of the stanza. Once again, the hosts fought back and tied the game after a single and an error, and were put in the winner's circle following a deep single to left field.

Reinhardt had 12 hits, led by four players with two each. Megan Huss also walked three times while Reagen Radke threw six innings and struck out five in a no-decision.

The bats came alive in the rubber match for the Eagles, but they did so in come-from-behind fashion after Middle Georgia State scored three runs in the bottom of the first on just one hit and another error. Laukka cut the deficit in half with another blast – this time to lead off the second inning – but the Knights got their cushion back to 4-1.

Reinhardt would take full advantage of three errors in the third to take its first lead of game two, 5-4, and never look back. Highlights in the frame included a 2 RBI-double from Jacobs, an Emma Adams double to deep center that brought in a run and then Adams would later cross home plate on a missed catch in the outfield. 

The defense would put the clamps down on the Knights the rest of the way and Laukka would jumpstart another scoring spree with her third blast of the day in the fifth. Four more runs – five total – would follow after a double, hit-by-pitch and more RBIs from Jacobs.

Adams went 4-for-4 as she paced an offense with four batters with two-or-more hits.

Ally Andriano faced 37 batters and went wire-to-wire to earn a victory in the circle with 5 Ks.

The home opener at Ken White Softball Field is up next on Feb. 8 against NCAA Division III Wesleyan (Ga.) in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

For up-to-the-minute Eagles sports news, follow Reinhardt Athletics on Facebook, @RU_Eagles on Twitter and @ru_eagles on Instagram. 

For more information on Reinhardt Softball, please click here.