Softball Seniors Finish Home Careers With AAC Sweep
April 14, 2018
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletics Communications & Media
WALESKA, Ga. – There was offense aplenty for the Reinhardt softball team on Saturday afternoon in Waleska, as the Eagles combined for a 22-1 score over the visiting Koalas of Columbia (S.C.) on Senior Day at Ken White Softball Field.
Reinhardt finishes 13-5 at home in 2018, and with back-to-back victories – 14-0 (5 innings) and 8-1 – improves to 26-22 overall.
"We had a great outing highlighted by our three seniors, and it's always nice to see them successful, especially on the day we celebrate their careers," head coach Jade Geuther said. "We did what we needed to today and now our focus has to shift to two huge games against Milligan."
Runs were scored in the first (2), third (6) and fourth (6) as the Eagles scored 14 times on just eight hits as a club. Jessica Baker – one of the three Reinhardt seniors – got her team on the board in the bottom of the first with a 2-RBI double to shallow left center. Reinhardt's advantage would balloon to 8-0 following four hits and an error.
The aforementioned inning saw a bases-loaded walk, a 3-RBI double from Baker, an error and the final tally brought home by Madison Gianfala. Another six-spot followed in the fourth inning: Baker brought in another teammate on a double to right-center field, and was followed by scores resulting from an error, a Cassidy Howren single, a fielder's choice and then back-to-back walks with the bases loaded.
Maddie Szalewski breezed through her five innings of work in the circle (five hits allowed) and even earned an RBI and scored a run late in the contest as well.
Baker made the most of the opening contest of her Senior Day by going 3-for-3 with a half-dozen RBIs and two runs scored. Gianfala went 2-for-3 and an RBI as well.
The tallies kept pouring in also in the rubber match of the doubleheader, beginning in the first inning on a RBI-triple (Alise Hooks) and a squeeze play from Jennah McElheney. Columbia would get within one after a double in the third, but the Eagles would respond with three runs in both the fifth and sixth frames.
McElheney pushed the lead back to a pair after a single up the middle and Baker continued her dominant day with another ripping double that brought in two more runs. McElheney (3-for-3 and five RBIs) would come back up to the plate the very next at-bat and bring in three on a bases-clearing double to left.
Hooks went 2-for-3 and scored twice in the final win.
Lindsey Shepherd was strong in her start as well with a complete-game seven innings.
Reinhardt now looks ahead to its final conference doubleheader of the year on April 18 at Milligan (Tenn.) in a rescheduled series due to weather earlier in the season.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
For up-to-the-minute Eagles sports news, follow Reinhardt Athletics on Facebook, @RU_Eagles on Twitter and @ru_eagles on Instagram.
For more information on Reinhardt Softball, please click here.
WALESKA, Ga. – There was offense aplenty for the Reinhardt softball team on Saturday afternoon in Waleska, as the Eagles combined for a 22-1 score over the visiting Koalas of Columbia (S.C.) on Senior Day at Ken White Softball Field.
Reinhardt finishes 13-5 at home in 2018, and with back-to-back victories – 14-0 (5 innings) and 8-1 – improves to 26-22 overall.
"We had a great outing highlighted by our three seniors, and it's always nice to see them successful, especially on the day we celebrate their careers," head coach Jade Geuther said. "We did what we needed to today and now our focus has to shift to two huge games against Milligan."
Runs were scored in the first (2), third (6) and fourth (6) as the Eagles scored 14 times on just eight hits as a club. Jessica Baker – one of the three Reinhardt seniors – got her team on the board in the bottom of the first with a 2-RBI double to shallow left center. Reinhardt's advantage would balloon to 8-0 following four hits and an error.
The aforementioned inning saw a bases-loaded walk, a 3-RBI double from Baker, an error and the final tally brought home by Madison Gianfala. Another six-spot followed in the fourth inning: Baker brought in another teammate on a double to right-center field, and was followed by scores resulting from an error, a Cassidy Howren single, a fielder's choice and then back-to-back walks with the bases loaded.
Maddie Szalewski breezed through her five innings of work in the circle (five hits allowed) and even earned an RBI and scored a run late in the contest as well.
Baker made the most of the opening contest of her Senior Day by going 3-for-3 with a half-dozen RBIs and two runs scored. Gianfala went 2-for-3 and an RBI as well.
The tallies kept pouring in also in the rubber match of the doubleheader, beginning in the first inning on a RBI-triple (Alise Hooks) and a squeeze play from Jennah McElheney. Columbia would get within one after a double in the third, but the Eagles would respond with three runs in both the fifth and sixth frames.
McElheney pushed the lead back to a pair after a single up the middle and Baker continued her dominant day with another ripping double that brought in two more runs. McElheney (3-for-3 and five RBIs) would come back up to the plate the very next at-bat and bring in three on a bases-clearing double to left.
Hooks went 2-for-3 and scored twice in the final win.
Lindsey Shepherd was strong in her start as well with a complete-game seven innings.
Reinhardt now looks ahead to its final conference doubleheader of the year on April 18 at Milligan (Tenn.) in a rescheduled series due to weather earlier in the season.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
For up-to-the-minute Eagles sports news, follow Reinhardt Athletics on Facebook, @RU_Eagles on Twitter and @ru_eagles on Instagram.
For more information on Reinhardt Softball, please click here.