WEST POINT, Ga. - Faulkner starter Labradford Griffis tossed six strong innings and Faulkner cruised into the seventh with a five-run lead, but had to fight off a furious Point rally to escape with an 8-4 victory here Monday afternoon in a non-conference baseball game at West Point Park.

Usually the closer but getting the start due to a six-games-in-six days week, Griffis (1-1) allowed only two hits and struck out seven. Faulkner appeared poised to grab an easy win, thanks in part to a pair of Michael Cruz RBIs that had it on top 5-0, but the Skyhawks made it interesting.

Point amassed a combined seven hits in the seventh and eighth innings off of Faulkner relievers Dustin Spruiell and Kurt Lipscomb, and with the help of an Eagle error trimmed the lead to 5-4. After Faulkner scored a run in the top of the eighth to make it 6-4, the Skyhawks put together a three-hit bottom of the inning but a double play got Lipscomb out of the jam.

Robert Llera singled in a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth, and Lipscomb pitched a scoreless bottom half, striking out the last two Skyhawk hitters to secure the win.

Cruz had three hits and the two RBIs to lead Faulkner (20-5), while Luis Sanchez had two hits and two runs scored. Llera added three RBIs and Chris Madera three runs scored for the Eagles. Point fell to 10-12 with the loss.

Faulkner hosts Virginia Intermont Tuesday afternoon at Harrison Field, with the first pitch set for 2.