Eiseman & Mantooth Back-to-Back Homers Save Eagles in AAC Elimination Game
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
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2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | X | 4 | 10 | 0 |
Kingsport, TN—Reinhardt Baseball's offense has struggled some in this 2025 AAC Tournament, but with their backs against the wall, Barry Eiseman and Jacob Mantooth both homered back-to-back to take the lead in the eighth inning, 4-3, against the CIU Rams. The Eagles were able to finish off the Rams in the top of the ninth, winning their second game of the tournament. The Rams were eliminated from the loss.
The two teams scored two runs in the first inning, and then the bats went quiet. The Eagles' runs came from Adrian Vargas and Barry Eiseman. Vargas scored on a wild pitch, and Eiseman scored on an RBI single by third baseman Dryden Howse. Reinhardt then had six innings of no runs, which had Eagles' fans wondering if this could be the exit game from the tournament. CIU scored a go-ahead run in the fourth inning behind the bat of Eric Doyon. Doyton homered over the left field wall, breaking the 2-2 tie.
Reinhardt had issues with Rams starting pitcher, Davin Miller-Madden, who held the Eagles scoreless after the first inning. The Rams' coaching staff decided to pull him after the seventh inning, and the Eagles were able to take advantage of the move. With the AAC Tournament on the line, cue up Barry Eiseman and Jacob Mantooth. The duo created the much-needed magic this offense has been looking for the entire AAC Tournament. Eiseman cranked his homer over the right field wall, and moments later, Mantooth did the same over the left field wall. What seemed to be a bleak moment for the Eagles quickly turned around in the blink of an eye. The Eagles went from being one down and the tournament on the line to going up one and new life found.
Hayes Bryan pitched a great game for the Eagles after coming in the fifth inning after the Rams took the fourth-inning lead. He struck out four batters and only allowed one it through the top of the eighth inning. Logan Lynch pitched the top of the ninth after the eighth inning's homers. Bryant picked up the win, and Lynch recorded his second save of the season.
Reinhardt (GA)Pitchers
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Weiss | 4.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Hayes Bryant (W, 1-0) | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Logan Lynch (Sv, 2) | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
The win puts the Eagles in a 3 pm game this afternoon against Miligan. The Buffaloes beat the Eagles on Thursday, making every game a must-win game the rest of the way for Reinhardt. Milligan and Tennessee Wesleyan are the two remaining unbeaten teams left in the tournament. Updates to the tournament schedule will be made after this afternoon's games to figure out Saturday's game schedule. The Eagles will need to win this afternoon to put their names in the hat for tonorrow's championship round.
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