MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner rebounded from a devastating 9-1 (5) blow in Game 1 of this afternoon's Southern States Athletic Conference showdown against No. 2 Auburn Montgomery to claim the 5-3 victory in the nightcap here at Wynn Field.

AUM (32-6/20-2 SSAC) wasted little time in revving up its high octane offense, tallying four runs on three hits and a Lady Eagle error to take a commanding lead in the the top of the first inning of the opener.

The visitors then secured an additional run in the second before Kayla Hale issued the knockout punch with a three-run bomb to left field as part of AUM's four-hit, four-run fifth inning. The home team compounded the offensive explosion with two additional errors.

Faulkner found some life in its final trip to the plate when Avery Mott fired a double down the third base line to put a runner in scoring position for the first time all day. Mott then scored the team's lone run just moments later on a missed catch at shortstop.

Cassie Jones (21-3) gave up just two hits and no earned runs while striking out five batters in the Game 1 victory for AUM.

Mattie Dotson (10-7) allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs while logging three strikeouts in four and a third innings in the loss. Emma Cornell entered the event in the fifth anchoring the final two outs.

Jade Sasser was an impressive 5-for-6 with three RBIs and runs on the day for the Warhawks and drove in the team's final run of the afternoon with a double in the top of the third inning giving the visitors a 3-1 lead.

Faulkner scored twice, however, on a crucial AUM error and added the go-ahead run off the bat of Sophie Slemp that same inning.

The home team put the contest away with a Hannah Qualls RBI double in the fifth.

The loss was just AUM's sixth of the season and only its second in league play.

Hayden Strickland (8-4) earned the biggest win of her young career scattering eight hits over seven innings and allowing just two earned runs. The sophomore had three strikeouts.

Taylor Powell (8-1) gave up eight hits and three earned runs while striking out three in her first loss of the season for the Warhawks. Jones entered the circle in the sixth inning and had a pair of strikeouts, bringing her daily total to seven.

Slemp was 3-for-4 in the series and had an RBI in the second contest while Mott went 3-for-5 and scored in each game. Qualls was 2-for-3 in Game 2 and had a pair of RBIs.

Faulkner improved to 21-15 overall and 11-9 in the league. The Lady Eagles will next host Coastal Georgia in SSAC action on Monday. The doubleheader is slated for 4 p.m.