Reinhardt Splits Road Doubleheader at Bryan Behind Big Game Two Bats

Dayton, Tenn. - Reinhardt Baseball used a powerful offensive response in Game Two to earn a doubleheader split at Bryan College on Friday at Senter Field in Dayton, Tennessee, bouncing back from a one-run loss in the opener to take the nightcap 11-8 in a seven-inning contest.

In Game One, Bryan edged Reinhardt 5-4 after the Eagles' late rally came up just short. The hosts built a 5-1 advantage behind three home runs and a strong start from right-hander Tanner Everett, then held on as Reinhardt pushed the tying run to the plate in the ninth. Bryan scratched out a run in the bottom of the first on an error, then stretched the lead to 2-0 on a solo home run by Morgan Halliday in the second.

Bryan's biggest early blow came in the third, when Denajh Williams lifted a two-run homer to left to make it 4-0. Williams struck again in the fifth with a solo shot that pushed the margin to 5-1, providing what proved to be the decisive run. Reinhardt began to chip away in the sixth, when Cedric Cullars belted a solo home run to cut the deficit to 5-2 and give the Eagles' dugout a lift.

Reinhardt mounted its best threat in the top of the ninth, stringing together quality at-bats against Everett and the Bryan bullpen. The Eagles scored three times in the inning, highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Charles Smith that pulled Reinhardt within 5-4 and put the tying run in scoring position. Bryan, however, recorded the final out to close the game and hand Everett the win after 8 2/3 innings in which he allowed 10 hits and four earned runs while striking out seven on 123 pitches. Smith finished Game 1 with two hits and two RBI, while Cullars added his solo homer to pace the Eagles' offense.

Reinhardt's offense carried that late surge straight into Game 2, where the Eagles struck first and never trailed in an 11-8 victory. Louis Dion opened the scoring in the top of the first with a three-run home run, staking Reinhardt to a 3-0 advantage before Bryan came to the plate. Bryan answered with a five-run bottom of the first, capped by a three-run homer from Brodie Genter and a two-run double from Halliday, to flip the lead to 5-3 after one inning.

The Eagles immediately responded in the second, putting together a three-run frame on RBI singles and a run-scoring double from the middle of the order to reclaim a 6-5 lead. Reinhardt added two more runs in the third on a string of hits to extend the cushion to 8-5 and seize control of the nightcap's momentum. After a scoreless fourth, the Eagles tacked on single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, using consistent traffic on the bases to keep pressure on Bryan's pitching staff and build an 11-6 edge heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Bryan pushed across two runs in its final at-bat to close within 11-8, but Reinhardt closed the door to secure the split. The Eagles finished with 13 hits in Game 2 and did not commit an error, while holding Bryan to 10 hits and stranding 11 runners. Dion led the way with two hits, four RBI, a home run and two runs scored. Cade Chamlee turned in a standout performance with three hits, three runs scored and two RBI, including both a triple and a home run, and Miguel Salazar added three hits and two RBI to round out a balanced attack.

Across the doubleheader, Reinhardt totaled 15 runs and 23 hits, showing resilience after the narrow Game One loss and generating sustained offense in the nightcap. The split on the road sets the Eagles up with positive momentum as they continue their early-season schedule away from home.

The two teams will face each other on Saturday for the series decider at 1 pm.