THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas Night Hawks closed out the series against No.14 Reinhardt with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Varnedoe Stadium.
Game One: Thomas 1 No.14 Reinhardt 8
The Night Hawks were hit hard in game one of the doubleheader, as they fell 8-1 to the Eagles.
Reinhardt caught fire early as a fielding error and a hit put two on. A hit down the right field line then scored the first run of the game. Following a sac fly to bring home a second run, the Eagles brought another across on a throwing error.
The situation unraveled further as another hit plated the fourth run of the inning for Reinhardt. A two-run homer then made it a six-run deficit for Thomas as starter Ian Vickers struck out the next batter to get out of the inning.
In the second, another homer brought the lead to seven. An inning later, the Eagles extended the lead to eight.
At the top of the fifth, Ryan Chapman relieved Vickers and stabilized the game, holding Reinhardt scoreless for the rest of the game.
The Night Hawks were able to bring a run across in the seventh as Tyler Marczak hit a groundout to the pitcher, However, it would be the only one as the Eagles took game one.
Game Two: Thomas 12 No. 14 Reinhardt 2 (8 Innings)
Fortunes turned for the Night Hawks in game two as clutch pitching and hot bats gave them the series victory over the Eagles.
Issac Padilla was on the mound in game two and got off to a hot start by sitting down the first three batters in the first. However, neither team could string any runs together through the first two innings.
The bats woke up for Thomas in the bottom of the third, after a strikeout to leadoff the inning, Drew Clayton cracked a double into left to get into scoring position. Seth Waltimyer then reached on a fielder's choice to put runners at the corners.
Next was Elias Garcia, and the Captain knocked a single into right to score Clayton. The momentum continued as Brayden Lawhon found a gap to left to bring home Waltimyer, a throwing error by the third baseman advanced both Garcia and Lawhon to third and second respectively.
The runs piled on as a wild pitch plated Garcia as Max Pickert stood in the box. Pickert then doubled down the line to score Teiresias Jones Jr. as the inning came to a close.
The Eagles did answer back with a solo homer to begin the top of the fourth, but Padilla kept his composure and prevented anymore from coming across. Unfortunately, an error at third with a runner at second brought a run home, cutting the lead to two.
Jaxon Smith relieved Padilla at the top of the sixth but lasted only eight pitches after walking two. Smith was pulled for Sawyer Smith and he found himself in a jam with runners in scoring position with one out.
The veteran stayed cool and struck out the next batter and forced a ground out to get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Night Hawks had an opportunity to add some more runs, as Aidan Reyes reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the inning.
After stealing second, Reyes later advanced to third as Waltimyer reached on a throwing error by the pitcher.
Next up was Garcia, and after a steal by Waltimyer to get into scoring position, a wild pitch scored Reyes and moved Waltimyer to third. Garcia later drew a walk, forcing a pitching change for Reinhardt.
However, the runs and walks continued as Garcia stole second, and Waltimyer came home on a wild pitch. Unfortunately, Thomas did not add any more runs in the sixth.
On the mound, Smith was dealing as he fanned the first two batters of the inning, but a walk put a runner on first. Later in the next at-bat, the runner stole second and then a balk put a run 90 feet away.
A pitch later, a chopper right to Smith set up an easy play to first for the out.
The Eagles had another opportunity in the top of the eighth as a hit by pitch and a walk put two on with one out. However, a grounder right to Jeremy Santiago set up a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the inning.
After a popup to begin the top of the eighth, Clayton hit his second double of the game to get into scoring position. Gabe Tafelski stepped in to pinch hit and drew a walk as Clayton advanced to third on a wild pitch. Bringing up Elias Garcia, during the at-bat, another wild pitch scored Clayton while Tafelski moved to second.
Garcia drew a walk, putting two on for Lawhon. Next, a throwing error on the catcher moved both runners up a base, then Lawhon drew a walk to load the bases.
Pickert stepped into the box now, and a second throwing error by the catcher scored Tafelski and moved everyone up again. Pickert then hit a double into the gap to score both runners to increase the lead to eight.
Next, Jaylen Roque was hit by a pitch, and Marczak grounded out to advance both runners to scoring position. Reyes then drew a walk, and Pickert scored on a passed ball to put Thomas a run away from the run rule.
Santiago battled at the plate to get a full-count walk, bringing up Clayton. Clayton hit one to the pitcher, but he threw the ball over the first baseman's head, scoring the winning run for a 12-2 win.
Clayton led the bats for the Night Hawks with two hits (both doubles) with an RBI. Meanwhile, Pickert had a pair of doubles himself with three RBI.
On the mound, Padilla scattered four hits over five innings, with one earned, a strikeout and the win. Additionally, Smith pitched three innings, not allowing a hit or run with three strikeouts, and two walks allowed.
Thomas went on the road on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 3:00 p.m for a non-conference matchup against ABAC.
