Eagles Drop Doubleheader & Series to Ottawa on Saturday

Waleska, GA - Reinhardt Baseball dropped both ends of a nonconference doubleheader to Ottawa on Saturday at Ken White Field, falling 10-7 in a back-and-forth opener before being shut out 11-0 in a seven-inning nightcap.

In Game 1, Reinhardt climbed out of an early 3-0 hole with a five-run surge in the bottom of the third to briefly seize control, but Ottawa answered late and used a four-run ninth inning to pull away. The Eagles' big third-inning rally turned a three-run deficit into a 5-3 lead, highlighted by aggressive baserunning, a run scoring on a passed ball, and a two-RBI fielder's choice off the bat of pinch hitter Adam Harris. Reinhardt added single runs in the fifth and seventh to stay within striking distance, but could not withstand Ottawa's final push.

Ottawa opened the scoring in the first with an RBI double from Julius Ryan and an RBI groundout from Kaiden Hoapili, then tacked on another run in the second on a double by Jose Lopez to build a 3-0 advantage. After Reinhardt's five-run answer in the third, Ottawa chipped away with a solo home run from Dane Lujan in the fourth and single runs in the sixth and seventh to move back in front. The decisive blow came in the top of the ninth, when Ryan tripled to left-center to drive in two and ignite a four-run inning that pushed the visitors to a 10-7 win in the nine-inning opener.

Right-fielder Cedric Cullars scored three runs for the Eagles, which was a game high on runs scored.

Despite the loss, Reinhardt capitalized on its opportunities in Game 1 by drawing nine walks and turning just four hits into seven runs. Harris provided a key swing off the bench with his two-run fielder's choice in the third, and the Eagles continued to pressure Ottawa pitching through the middle innings. Defensively, however, Reinhardt was charged with four errors, contributing to nine earned runs allowed on 13 Ottawa hits.

Game 2 belonged to Ottawa's pitching, as Eagles hitters were limited to five hits in an 11-0, seven-inning defeat. Reinhardt held the visitors scoreless through three innings before Ottawa broke through with a three-run fourth on a three-run homer by Garrett Dodd. Ottawa added two more runs in the fifth, then pulled away with three-run frames in both the sixth and seventh. Several of those late runs were aided by defensive miscues, as the Eagles were tagged with four errors for the second straight game.

Reinhardt put runners on throughout the nightcap, finishing with five hits, one walk, and three hit batters, but came up empty in multiple scoring chances and stranded eight. Eagles' pitching worked all seven innings, scattering seven hits, but was hurt by the combination of Ottawa's timely extra-base hitting and unearned runs. Ottawa's Adrian Quintana went the distance for the visitors, throwing a seven-inning complete-game shutout with five strikeouts.

The Eagles will need to get this series behind them quickly and turn their focus towards the upcoming week, where they will face Freed-Hardeman on Monday and then the weekend AAC series at Montreat University.