THOMASVILLE, Ga.– The Thomas Night Hawks won their second game in a row against a ranked team with an 11–4 win over No.14 Reinhardt on Friday.
The Night Hawks quickly went to work in the first; after retiring the side at the top of the inning, Elias Garcia knocked a double down the line to lead off the inning and then advanced to third on a groundout from Brayden Lawhon.
Next, Max Pickert stepped to the dish and hit a routine grounder to the shortstop, but it was bobbled allowing Pickert to reach first and Garcia to score.
The Eagles got a run back in the second to tie the game at one run a piece. With a runner on first with two outs, Seth Waltimyer drew a walk to keep the inning going. Up next was Garcia and after a wild pitch advanced the runners into scoring position, the captain drew the third walk of the inning to load the bases.
Lawhon stepped to the plate and hit a ball into the corner in right center, clearing the bases and sliding into third with a triple. With the game broken open, Pickert added on with a hit up the middle to bring another run home.
Dustin Letchworth earned the start, and with a four-run cushion; the veteran settled in, holding Reinhardt scoreless in the next three innings.
Meanwhile, the Night Hawks added a pair of runs in the fourth with a Pickert groundout scoring Waltimyer and a wild pitch scoring Teiresias Jones Jr. Later in the fifth, Thomas brought in another run with Jackson Thomas scoring on a balk.
Following a walk and hit to get a runner in scoring position for the Eagles, Christian Maige relieved Letchworth, unfortunately, Reinhardt began to rally and posted three runs in the sixth to cut the lead to three.
Following a flyout from Pickert to lead off the inning, Jaylen Roque smashed one over the wall in left center for his first career home run.
With a five-run lead, the Cairo native steadied himself and retired the side in the next inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Lucas Dufresne started off the inning with a hit to left, later advancing to second on a wild pitch.
After a flyout and a groundout, the Night Hawks faced two outs with Garcia up to bat. The captain came through again with a hit to left, scoring the run to increase the lead to six.
Maige continued to deal at the plate, forcing a pair of flyouts and a groundout to keep the bats cold for the Eagles.
Roque led off the inning with lineout to left, bringing up Gabe Tafelski, who hit a moonshot into left to give the Night Hawks a seven-run lead going into the ninth.
Maige forced a pair of groundouts but walked a couple of Eagles to put two on with two outs. However, Maige kept his composure and struck out the final batter to put the exclamation point on the upset.
Garcia posted three hits with a double and an RBI, while Lawhon finished with a pair of hits, a triple and three RBI. Pickert added three RBI of his own with a hit as well.
On the mound, Letchworth scattered five hits and three earned in five innings of work with a couple of strikeouts and the win. In relief, Maige allowed two hits and a pair of free passes in four innings, conceding one run and earning the save.
The Night Hawks look to win the series on Saturday, Feb. 7 in a doubleheader with the Eagles starting at 1:00p.m.
