Baseball Concludes Southeast Rumble with Loss to No. 23 Eagles

WALESKA, Ga. – No. 9 Taylor baseball concluded play at the Southeast Rumble with a 4-0 defeat to the tournament host, No. 23 Reinhardt (2-4).

Strong pitching and defense was the story of the game for both sides through the early innings, as there was no score until the bottom of the fifth when the Eagles used a walk and a single to set up a two-RBI double and take a 2-0 lead.

That Reinhardt advantage held up through the seventh frame, when the home team was active on the base paths and wreaked havoc despite generating soft contact to plate two more runs and make it a 4-0 ballgame.

Kaleb Kolpien became the second Taylor baserunner to reach third base in the ninth inning after his single was followed by a hit-by pitch and walk in the frame to load the bases, but Reinhardt escaped the jam to preserve its shutout.

Alec Holcomb started the game on the bump and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing two runs and striking out three Eagles. Luke Picchiotti saved a run in the third with a spectacular running catch in center field, and Holcomb picked up a huge strikeout to end the fourth to strand two runners in scoring position and keep the game scoreless.

Jared Crandall and Nick Crabtree both recorded three strikeouts in their respective relief roles, while Gage Gongwer tossed a shutout eighth inning. Offensively, Brayden Manning had the Trojans' lone extra-base hit, one of two base knocks for the sophomore on the day.

No. 9 TU (2-5) travels to Lakeland, Florida, on Friday, Feb. 16 to begin a three-game series with No. 1-ranked Southeastern (8-0) at 2 p.m.