Eagles Drop Pair of One-Run Decisions to Johnson in AAC Doubleheader

Waleska, GA - Reinhardt University came up just short in a pair of tight contests Friday in Waleska, dropping a nine-inning opener 7-5 and a seven-inning nightcap 5-4 to Johnson University in an AAC baseball doubleheader. This was both the home opener and AAC opener for the Eagles.

In Game One, Johnson used a three-run fifth inning and late insurance to withstand a persistent Eagles rally. A Reinhardt error in the top of the second opened the scoring, as Christian Altamiran reached on a misplay at shortstop and both Joe Brown and Braden Frank came around on the play for a 2-0 Johnson lead. The Eagles immediately cut into the deficit in the bottom half when Juan Pablo Morales scored on an RBI single from Louis Dion to make it 2-1.

The decisive blow came in the top of the fifth, when Travis Hobbensiefken drilled a three-run home run to left field to push Johnson's advantage to 5-1. Reinhardt chipped away again in the sixth, with J. Rains singling and Dion doubling ahead of a run-scoring groundout from Cannon Dorsey that trimmed the margin to 5-2. Hobbensiefken later sparked another run in the eighth, singling and eventually scoring on a Joe Brown ground-ball double play to make it 6-2.

The Eagles mounted their biggest push in the bottom of the eighth. Dion continued his big day with a two-run home run to right, pulling Reinhardt within 6-4 and energizing the home dugout. Johnson answered with what proved to be a critical insurance run in the top of the ninth when Luke Wilson reached on a fielder's choice that brought in a run for a 7-4 cushion. Reinhardt threatened again in the bottom of the ninth as Morales delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-5, but the rally ended with the tying and go-ahead run left on base.

Despite the loss, the Eagles out-hit Johnson 12-8 and left nine runners on base. Dion led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, and three RBIs, while leftfielder Jackson Rains also turned in a three-hit performance and scored twice. Johnson was powered by Hobbensiefken, who finished with two hits, including the three-run homer, drove in three, and scored twice.

Game Two followed a similar script, with Reinhardt repeatedly answering early offense from Johnson but ultimately falling one run short in a 5-4 decision. Johnson jumped in front quickly in the top of the first when Brown connected for a three-run home run to left field. The Eagles responded in the bottom half of the inning, first on a sacrifice fly from Morales and then on a two-run home run from Rains that tied the game at 3-3 after one.

Johnson regained the lead for good in the second inning on an RBI single from JJ Menesini, then extended the margin to 5-3 in the fourth with a solo home run from Altamiran. Reinhardt's staff held Johnson scoreless over the final three innings to keep the game within reach, and the Eagles closed the gap to 5-4 in the sixth on an RBI single from Dorsey. However, Johnson's Kaleb Townsend worked a scoreless seventh to lock down the save and complete the sweep.

Reinhardt collected six hits in the nightcap, matching Johnson's power with a home run from Rains and three doubles as a team. Rains again paced the Eagles' attack with two hits, including his second home run of the day, and two RBIs, while Ethan Moore added a two-hit effort with a double. Altamiran led Johnson in Game 2 with three hits, two doubles, a home run, and three RBIs, and Brown's first-inning three-run shot provided the early separation Johnson needed.

Relief pitcher Ryan Mahoney came in game two to pitch three solid innings for the Eagles, only giving up two hits and not allowing a run.  This helped the Eagles stay in striking distance even though they came up short.

Across the doubleheader, the Eagles totaled 10 runs on 18 hits but stranded 14 runners, repeatedly putting the tying or go-ahead run on base in the late innings. Reinhardt and Johnson will play the final game of the AAC series on Saturday afternoon at Ken White Field, 1 pm.