MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner overcame an early deficit with an eight-run explosion over two innings and raced away from the University of the Cumberlands 11-2 in the first game of a doubleheader here Sunday afternoon at Harrison Field.

The Eagles (9-1) earned the sweep in Game 2, riding a three-hit gem from Labradford Griffis en route to a 4-0 victory, their sixth straight win since the season's only loss. Griffis struck out five and didn't issue a walk, improving to 2-0.

In Game 1, the Eagles trailed 2-1 headed to the bottom of the third when they broke it open. Zak Colby, David Bishop, Dauris Holguin, Michael Cruz and Esteban Paula all had RBIs in a five-run third, then Holguin, Cruz and Paula followed up with run-scoring hits an inning later, resulting in three runs and a 9-2 lead.

Cruz blasted a two-rum homer in the sixth to close out the scoring. Cruz finished with two hits, two runs scored and four RBI, while Paula had three hits and two runs knocked in. Holguin had a pair of hits, runs scored and RBI, with Colby pitching in two hits and an RBI.

Julian Esquibel allowed only three hits and two runs in six innings of work, striking out six Patriots along the way to move to 2-0 on the season.

Cayleb Coker and Paula each drove in runs in the early innings to stake the Eagles to a 2-0 lead before Sergio Sanchez blasted a two-run home run in the fifth to push the lead to four. Cruz was the only Faulkner player to have two hits in Game 2.

"We strung together some big hits in the first game and that's something we will really need to keep doing as we get ready for conference play," Faulkner head coach Patrick McCarthy said. "In the second game, Brad just did an amazing job. He was in complete command of three pitches and was basically unhittable."

Faulkner hosts Blue Mountain Tuesday at noon in a non-conference doubleheader at Harrison Field.