WALESKA, Ga. -- On Sunday afternoon at Ken White Baseball Field, the Reinhardt College baseball team lost 9-2 to the visiting Bluefield College Ramblin' Rams in an Appalachian Athletic Conference contest. Bluefield received 11 votes in the latest NAIA poll to rank 39th nationally.    

The Ramblin' Rams got out to a quick 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning and added another in the fifth. Reinhardt trimmed the deficit to 2-1 by scoring once in the bottom half of the fifth inning, but Bluefield took control down the stretch by tallying one run in the seventh, two runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth. The Eagles tacked on a run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Reinhardt committed three errors, leading to five unearned runs, while the Rams made two. The Eagles left seven runners on base and their guests six.

Ethan Starr hit a ninth-inning, solo home run as a pinch hitter for Reinhardt while Brett Flick ended 1-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt and an RBI. Freshman Will Foster went 1-for-3 with a run scored while Michael Willis finished 1-for-3 with a walk. Jeremy Roberts and Jay Huffman each collected a hit.

In the pitching department, Matt Barger was the Eagles' starter and suffered the loss after 4 1/3 innings of work. He allowed just one hit and one earned run with four strikeouts and two walks. Ryan McDowell threw three innings and was one of five relievers used by Reinhardt.

The Eagles are 6-8 overall and 0-3 in the AAC while Bluefield improves to 8-4 overall, including 3-0 in conference play. Reinhardt hosts a non-conference doubleheader with the Shorter College Hawks on Tuesday at 3 p.m.