MARION, Ind. - The College of Coastal Georgia softball team fell 2-1 to the Reinhardt Eagles in the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament on Monday morning.

The Mariners (35-18) wasted no time getting on the board as they took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. After Rylee Mills got some help from her defense in the top of the first inning, she helped herself out in the bottom half as she sent a double down the left field line to score Emma Jones who led the inning off with a hit by pitch. The one run is all the Mariners could get, as they took their 1-0 lead into the second inning. 

Double plays ended the second and third inning for the Mariners defense, but in both cases they stranded runners on third and could not answer as the game went into the fourth with CCGA still leading 1-0. 

In the top of the fourth, Reinhardt finally answered to tie the game at one apiece. A leadoff double from Wade came around to score as Wright singled her home in the next at bat. Mills was able to limit the damage and hold the Eagles to just one but the score was tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the fourth. 

In the fifth, Reinhardt scored again to take a 2-1 lead on a solo home run from Olszowy as the Eagles took all the momentum into the bottom of the fifth inning. 

With her offense struggling, Mills was able to hold the Eagles off the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning needing her offense to scrape another run across. Mackenzie Southerland drew a walk and two batters later Brooke Perdue singled up the middle, giving CCGA their best chance to score in several innings. The Mariners could not make anything happen as the game moved to the seventh as CCGA still trailed 2-1. 

Mills held the Eagles in check in the top of the seventh, but it was not to be as CCGA went down in order in the bottom of the seventh as they fell 2-1 to the Eagles in the opener of the NAIA National Tournament. 

Perdue and Alyssa Haggerty both finished 2-3 from the plate in the loss as Mills drove in the lone run of the afternoon. Mills also went the distance in the circle, pitching seven innings allowing eight hits, two runs, no walks and one strikeout. 

The Mariners will now play the loser of the Indiana Wesleyan and Rio Grande matchup that is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. EST this afternoon. First pitch for the elimination game is set for 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday.