Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 By LENZIE GUIDRY
Faulkner Sports Network
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Coming off a tough stretch that saw his Eagles drop three straight games for the first time in almost three years, Faulkner head baseball coach Patrick McCarthy looked for hist team to bounce back in a weekend visit from 19th-ranked Campbellsville. He got just that. The third-ranked team in the NAIA beat the Tigers twice Saturday at Harrison Field, winning the opener 6-3 and dominating the nightcap 14-1 to sweep the three-game series.
The Eagles improved to 12-4, with eight of their wins and all four of their losses coming against nationally-ranked teams. Campbellsville dropped to 6-4 on the young season.
"I'm proud of the way we responded to last week's adversity," McCarthy said. "Everyone got hungry, everyone grinded each at-bat for the three games, and the pitchers did a great job attacking the batters."
In Game 1, Mario Amaral and Dario Polanco each had RBI base hits in the first inning as the Eagles grabbed an early 2-0 lead. Faulkner pushed the lead to 5-0 in its next at-bat, with Alexis Cruz highlighting the three-run inning with his second home run of the series. Leading 5-2 in the fifth, the Eagles added their final run when Amaral's double was followed by Nick Cain's RBI single.
Ivan Pelaez (2-0) earned the win,allowing two runs on six hits while recording three strikeouts. Phillip Anderson got the save.
The Eagles got off to a quick start in the nightcap, scoring six runs off of seven hits in the first inning, highlighted by Polanoc's two-RBI triple. Jennings and Amaral also had big hits in the uprising.
Faulkner put the game away in the third, adding seven runs more runs. Cain's double came before Deivy Palmeiro's home run that pushed the lead to 8-0. Amaral and Polanco each added run-scoring hits, and Cain drove in another with a sacrifice fly. Two innings later Cain's solo homer closed out the scoring.
Victor Arche (3-1) got the win, giving up one run on six hits while striking out five Tiger batters. Preston Szuch, Kurt Lipscomb and Miguel Castellanos each pitched scoreless innings.
Faulkner had 25 hits on the day, with Amaral leading the way with five. Cain added four, while Jennings, Palenzuela, Polanco, and Palmeiro each had three. Cruz also had multiple hits, finishing with two.
The Eagles travel to West Point, Ga., Wednesday to battle the Point Skyhawks. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m.
