MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner had no answer for the top of Auburn Montgomery's lineup, and once again Warhawk pitcher Cole Goodwin limited the damage long enough in a 8-5 victory here Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the Southern States Athletic Conference baseball tournament at Paterson Field.

AUM (40-16) scored three runs in the first inning, two more in the second and added another three in the fourth to take control, with all eight tallies coming from the top five hitters in the Warhawk lineup. Meanwhile, Goodwin, who tossed a five-hitter in a win over Faulkner last week that clinched the regular season conference championship, kept Faulkner's bats relatively quiet through six innings in running his record to 10-1 on the season.

Faulkner's Julian Esquibel, in just his third appearance of the season after missing the past year recovering from arm surgery, couldn't make it out of the first inning. The senior right hander, who played an instrumental role in Faulkner's 2013 national championship, hit two batters, walked another and allowed two hits as AUM built an early 3-0 lead.

Esquibel was replaced with two outs in the first by Phillip Anderson, who survived further trouble in the opening frame. The junior, normally a weekend starter for head coach Patrick McCarthy, went the next 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits as AUM took an 8-2 lead to the seventh inning. 

It was then that the Eagles (45-13) showed signs of life, collecting four straight hits - including a two-run homer by Robert Llera - to finally chase Goodwin and cut the deficit to 8-5. With two Eagles on base, Warhawk head coach Marty Lovrich went to closer Brady Eldridge, who got Dennis Morton to fly out and then struck out Nick Cain to squirm out of the jam. Eldridge allowed just one hit the rest of the way to lock down the championship.

Chris Madera, who had three hits and a run scored in the championship game, and Llera both made the all-tournament team. Llera also had three hits Saturday, driving in three runs and scoring one of his own. Dario Polanco and Cain added a pair of hits apiece for the Eagles. Faulkner outhit AUM 13-8 in the game, but issued seven free passes - three walks and four hit batsman. 

Kurt Lipscomb pitched a perfect seventh and eighth innings to give Faulkner a chance, but the Eagles failed to threaten in their final two at-bats.

Both teams now await their post-season fates when the NAIA announces the 45-team field for the 2015 Baseball National Championships Friday afternoon. Faulkner will be hosting the Montgomery Site of the Opening Round, and will look to be a No. 1 seed, while AUM should also be a No. 1 seed, and will await word on its destination. The Opening Round dates are May 12-15, with the nine winners of the double-elimination events joining host Lewis-Clark State at the Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, May 22-29.