MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On Thursday, the No. 7-seed Reinhardt College baseball squad claimed its first-ever win at the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament with a hard-fought 5-4 victory in 11 innings over the No. 6-seeded Berry College Vikings in an elimination game. Faulkner University is hosting the eight-team, double-elimination event at Harrison Field. The tournament is slated to end on Saturday.  

Berry scored the contest's first run in the third inning before Reinhardt pushed three runs across in the top of the sixth. The Vikings made it a 3-2 game with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning before the Eagles added to their lead by scoring once in the ninth. Berry rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the contest into extra innings, before Reinhardt scored the eventual winning run in the top of the 11th on a two-out double by Joe Niehoff (St. Cloud, Minn.).

The winners collected 12 hits and left 17 runners on base. The Vikings had nine hits and stranded 13 baserunners. The Eagles made three errors and Berry two.

At the plate for Reinhardt, Greg Ihlenburg (Canton, Ga.) was 2-for-4 with two walks while Niehoff finished 2-for-5 with the two-base hit and a pair of RBIs. Freshman Harry Nutter (Jonesboro, Ga.) went 2-for-5 with two bases on balls while Jarrod Willis (Douglasville, Ga.) ended 2-for-6 with a run scored. Daniel Hester (Atlanta, Ga.) was 1-for-3 with three walks, two runs scored and an RBI while Daniel Jape (Woodstock, Ga.) had a hit in five at-bats with an RBI and a run scored. Freshman Mitch Pittman (Monroe, Ga.) went 1-for-5 with a walk while Michael Willis (Douglasville, Ga.) doubled. Chad Hiddleson (Marietta, Ga.) chipped in with a run scored.

Matt Dalton (Suwanee, Ga.) was the Eagles' starting pitcher and threw five innings, allowing four hits and one earned run. Dan Audia (Woodstock, Ga.) picked up the win in relief by tossing two scoreless innings, giving up no hits or walks.

Reinhardt moves to 29-27 overall while the Vikings end their season at 34-17. The Eagles will play another SSAC Tournament elimination game on Friday against the top-seeded Lee University Flames, who are ranked No. 3 nationally in the NAIA. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Central time (2 p.m. Eastern).