Eagles Finish Out Regular Season with Two Wins at CIU
Columbia, SC - The last two months of Eagles Softball has been amazing! Over March and April, they have gone 24-6 with most of the games coming against conference opponents. They are on a current eight-game win streak and have gone 14-1 in the last fifteen games. The team is hitting their peak at the right time and the players are stepping up to make big plays. The pitchers are getting their jobs done and the Eagles' batters are making things happen at the plate.
On Thursday afternoon, the Eagles were visiting CIU for a doubleheader. This was the final series before the AAC Tournament starts next week. The Eagles would take two from CIU with game one finishing 5-4 and game two 3-1.
Bella Krauth would get the start in game one and she would have 2 strikeouts in her six innings of work. Krauth would give up 8 hits and 4 runs before Whitney Shepherd would come in at the bottom of the ninth to help her out. The Eagles were trailing in the game 3-4, but they picked up two runs in the top of the seventh to get the lead back, 5-4. Shepherd would shut down any attempts by CIU to regain the lead from the Eagles. Shepherd did not give up a hit or run in her one inning.
Jill Martinet and Ansley Evans would lead the Eagles both going 3 for 4 at the plate. Martinet would have 2 RBIs and Evans had one RBI. Hannah Kate Singleton and Alanna Dunson would both go 2 for 4 to help the Eagles. Evans and Martinet both had doubles in the game and this would be the Eagles only multi-base hits.
The seventh-inning runs were essential for the Eagles and the batters stepped up and got it done to help get the win. Martinet and Singleton both singled to lead off the seventh. Reinhardt used two pinch-runners for Martinet and Singleton and added speed on the bases. JJ Trowell ran for Martinet and Sydney Goddard came in for Singleton. Hailey Kaddatz would sac fly which would bring in Trowell and Evans doubled to center to bring in Goddard. This run was just enough to put the Eagles on top with the season coming to a close over the next couple of weeks.
In game two, Ally Andriano would pitch the entire seven innings and she picked up her 16th win of the season. She has a record of 16-4 going into the conference tournament next week. In this game, she would have her stuff going as she struck out 8 CIU batters. CIU only scored one run in the game on four hits making the final 3-1 Eagles.
The offense would not be as hot in the second game, however, they did just enough to help out Andriano's great pitching. Lauren Parker would lead the Eagles at the plate going 2 for 3 with a double and scoring two runs. Alexis Teems and Alexis Griffith had really good games at the top of the lineup. Teems would go 3 for 4 and she had one RBI. Griffith would go 1 for 4 but she was able to get 2 RBIs.
In the fifth inning, Griffith would ground out, but she would score Parker. Next, Teems would single to center field which scored Kalyn Jinks. The last run would come in the top of the seventh when Griffith singled to center field which scored Parker giving the Eagles the 3-1 lead. The Eagles end the regular season with a 32-13 record overall and 22-6 in the conference. Reinhardt is in the third spot in the conference standings, however, they have an identical conference record with the #2 team, Tennessee Wesleyan - which the Eagles split with during the season.
The Eagles will have the weekend off as they learn who and when they will play next week in the AAC Tournament. Check back to reinhardteagles.com for more information on the tournament bracket. After the AAC Tournament, it will be the NAIA National Tournament.
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