MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Designated hitter Matt Parker drove in three runs and Matt Creel pitched six strong innings to lift Faulkner to an 8-2 win here in the nightcap and a split of Saturday's Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader with Belhaven at Harrison Field.
The eighth-ranked Eagles (25-9 overall, 12-3 SSAC) lost the opener, as the Blazers' Jamie Bruno hit two home runs and had all five RBIs in Belhaven's 5-2 victory. Saturday's split gave Faulkner the series victory, its fifth in as many chances in the SSAC. The Blazers (21-12 overall, 7-8 SSAC), ranked No. 15, outhit the Eagles in Game 2, but three Belhaven pitchers combined to issue 10 walks.
In Faulkner's second-game victory, Daniel Cayton's third home run of the series, a solo shot in the second, gave the Eagles the lead. Parker saw to it that it grew from there, driving in a run to make it 3-0 with a single in the third, then ripping his second triple of the day to plate two more an inning later en route to a 5-0 advantage. That's all Creel (4-0) would need, allowing one run and five hits in his impressive outing.
Faulkner added an unearned run in the fifth and two more in the eighth as it won for the ninth time in its last 10 conference games. Belhaven's Brett Blaize (3-1) took the loss, walking six in 3 2/3 innings, allowing the first five Faulkner runs.
"This was big for us to win this series, because they are the best team we've played all year," Faulkner head coach Patrick McCarthy said. "After losing the first game today, we needed people to step up, and Creel, Parker and Cayton did. It's the sign of a mature, good ballclub when you are able to bounce back. I'm proud of the guys for their effort this weekend."
Bruno's big game began in the second, when he crushed a full-count fastball from Faulkner's Will Dismukes over the right-centerfield wall with a man on to stake the Blazers to a 2-0 lead.
Parker, pinch-hitting in the Eagles' fifth, tripled to deep center, then scored on Matt Broudreaux's RBI single. The Blazers bounced right back in the top of the sixth when, with runners at first and third, Bruno got another fastball from Dismukes and sent it way out of the park just inside the rightfield foul pole.
The Eagles threatened in their final at-bat, with Matt Darr's sacrifice fly cutting the margin to three. With runners on first and second and two outs, Brennan Olive drove a ball into the gap in the left-center, but Blazer leftfielder Joshua Bouldin made a nice running catch to end the game.
Allen Johnson (4-4) earned the victory for the Blazers in the opener, allowing only three hits and a run in five innings for work. Nick Meekins pitched the sixth for Belhaven, and Josh Clarke earned his seventh save by retiring the final two Eagles in the seventh. Dismukes (4-1) lost for the first time, going 5 2/3 innings and surrendering all five Belhaven runs.
Faulkner travels to Hattiesburg, Miss., next weekend for a three-game SSAC series with William Carey. Friday's opener is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch.
