Home Runs Doom Baseball's Sunday in Tennessee

Home Runs Doom Baseball's Sunday in Tennessee
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February 28, 2021

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media

ATHENS, Tenn. – Baseball is still looking for its first win within Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play on the season after No. 5 Tennessee Wesleyan swept No. 17 Reinhardt in a weekend series, finishing off a Sunday doubleheader with 11-4 and 9-6 outcomes in Athens.

The Bulldogs' bats were loud on Saturday, and that continued on Sunday, as they consistently used the long ball to get out of jams or separate themselves from the Eagles in big moments.

"When you play a team like we just did you can't give extra outs and free bases because that turns into big innings," head coach Jonathan Burton said. "Essentially, you are playing with fire and will get burned soon enough. We really had no answer for their offense today after we scored; that is where a zero is needed to seize momentum.

"We have to learn some tough lessons and get better quickly, or we will get buried in this league."

The hometown squad is now 9-6 (0-3 AAC) after taking the three-straight road defeats.

Each contest had fireworks on both sides of the dugout, and for Tennessee Wesleyan, the offense showed up early in a big way with an RBI-single and a grand slam in the opening inning. Albert Mora doubled to right in the second frame to bring in a run for a 5-1 deficit, but the Bulldogs responded again with two in the bottom of the at-bat and another pair in the third inning on a 2-run blast for a 9-1 lead.

Keven Jimenez got an-RBI single in the fourth (9-2) – but again – Tennessee Wesleyan soon responded with another home run, this time a 2-run shot, in the fifth for an 11-2 advantage.

Mora, who had two of Reinhardt's four hits, was able to scratch across two more tallies in the eighth on a 2-RBI single to right.

Ethan Foley (five strikeouts) got the loss on the mound after giving up all 11 runs and walking six.

The home run ball continued to plague the Eagles in game two, as the Bulldogs got four runs in the bottom of the second thanks to a solo blast and a 3-run shot. This time, however, it was the visitors' turn to get four runs on one swing – compliments of an Alvaro Valdez grand slam to right-center on an 0-2 count.

The 4-4 tie was short-lived, as the hosts again went over the fence to break the tie in the bottom of the fourth with a 3-run homer. The long ball would continue in the bottom of the fifth for Tennessee Wesleyan after it rounded the bases once more following a 2-run bomb on a full count.

Reinhardt wouldn't be able to make another comeback, but it didn't mean it stopped taking good swings. Mora kept his strong afternoon going in the sixth with yet another home run between the two schools – a 2-run knock – to get the score within three at 9-6.

Seven Eagles secured a hit in the second matchup.

The team has a day off to regroup and get ready for a home non-conference doubleheader against Brewton-Parker (Ga.) on Tuesday beginning at 2 p.m. 

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