MOBILE - Johnny Shuttlesworth tossed a six-hit shutout and Ethan Williams provided him all the support he'd need with a three-run, first-inning homer as Faulkner blanked Mobile 5-0 here Friday night in the first game of a Southern States Athletic Conference three-game series.

The fourth-ranked Eagles (29-8 overall, 16-3 SSAC) kept pace with top-ranked Lee in the loss column in the SSAC standings with the victory. Mobile fell to 21-11 overall and 9-7 in the league.

Williams blasted his homer after a pair of first-inning walks and Shuttlesworth took it from there, striking out four and not issuing a walk in improving his record to 7-1. The Eagles closed out the scoring in the fourth, when Zak Colby doubled in the game's final two runs.

"We played solid defense behind Shuttlesworth and he never really gave them a chance today - he was lights out," Faulkner head coach Patrick McCarthy said. "It's good to see Ethan get a big hit. He's been working hard."

The Eagles and the Rams will conclude their series with a Saturday doubleheader, with the first game set for an 11 a.m. start.