Gallery images by Katie Eaton

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – After dropping an extra-inning affair in the opener of a three-game series with Loyola Friday night, Faulkner bounced back behind the pitching of Jeremy Holcombe and Julian Esquibel to sweep the Wolf Pack here Saturday in a Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader at Harrison Field.

Faulkner (14-2 overall, 5-1 SSAC) won both games 3-0, and both Holcombe and Esquibel tossed three-hitters to allow the Eagles to win the series. Loyola dropped to 9-9 overall and 5-4 in the league.

"What great pitching we got today from Jeremy and Julian," Faulkner head coach Patrick McCarthy said. "It was a good day for our team, after the tough loss Friday. Hopefully we will continue to improve."

In Game 1, the top-ranked Eagles scored in each of the first three innings to provide Holcombe all the support he would need in improving to 3-0. Luis Sanchez and Chris Madera each had RBIs in the victory, with Madera the only Eagle to have multiple hits with two.

Holcombe struck out three and walked only two in his masterful performance.

In the nightcap, Esquibel fanned 10 Loyola batters without issuing a walk, and the Eagles scored single runs in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings to knock out the Wolf Pack. Luis Sanchez had three hits and an RBI for Faulkner, while Robert Llera and Greg Howard added two hits apiece. Both Llera and Howard knocked in runs as well, as did Dauris Holguin.

"Things are going to get tougher in this league, and we're going to have to step it up," said McCarthy, whose team couldn't hold a four-run lead in the loss Friday night. "We're going to get everybody's best shot, and we have to be able to handle that."