Early Inning Pitching Trouble Sends the Eagles Home from the AAC Tournament

KINGSPORT, TN – The Eagles let a big first-inning lead slip to send them packing and wondering what their next steps will be as a team for this 2023 season. The 4-0 first-inning lead was not enough as the Lions of Bryan would come storming back to take the lead and win the game 8-6 to move on to the AAC Championship Final to face the waiting Bulldogs of Union College.

The offense would get going early with the power of Nash Crowell and Richard Castro who both homered in the first inning to get the early 4-0 lead, but in the second inning - Bryan came right back to score six to take the lead back. 

Reinhardt battled back the rest of the game by scoring one run in the third when Will Underwood hit a sac fly that scored Nash Crowell, getting just one run back at 6-5. The Eagles were able to tie the score at 6-all in the sixth on a key double by left fielder, Jamel Rookard. Both Underwood and Rookard both stepped up during the AAC Tournament to help the Eagles after not getting as much time on the field during the season.

The story of this game came down to pitching and not being able to hold the lead. Cobey Allison would get the start in this game and he ran into some trouble in the second inning where he gave up six runs and the team lead. After the Eagles struggled to get back into the game to tie it at 6 all, two of Reinhardt's best pitchers each gave up a run to lose 8-6. Jordan Hampton and Ethan Foley were not able to keep things level in the eighth where Bryan scored their runs.

The Eagles were not able to score any more runs past the sixth inning and they would have to take the loss and watch Bryan move on to the final. It also puts the remaining postseason into question as the Eagles have to wait to see if they are invited to the NAIA Regionals and where they might end up. It is all a waiting game now, but finishing in second place in the regular season and third place of the AAC Tournament should be enough to get them a good chance of moving in.

Will Underwood and Nash Crowell had really good tournaments overall and both were named to the AAC All-Tournament Team.

2023 AAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

• Logan Romasanta, Union
• Luke Powell, Union
• Ethan Warren, Union
• James Raffauf, Union
• Bryson Lofton, Bryan
• Parker Cosby, Bryan
• Jakob Hamilton, Bryan
• Ethan Walls, Bryan
• Nash Crowell, Reinhardt
• Will Underwood, Reinhardt
• Marco Martinez, Tennessee Wesleyan
• Jake Sergent, Tennessee Wesleyan
• Daniel Willie, Montreat

Stay tuned to www.reinhardteagles.com and www.NAIA.org for the most up-to-date information on the NAIA Baseball National Tournament.