Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 MONTGOMERY, Ala. - For Faulkner's Dennis Morton, it was two days to remember. After a three-hit, five-RBI performance in Thursday night's win over Blue Mountain, the senior from San Diego had five hits and six more RBI in Friday's doubleheader sweep of the Toppers as the Eagles took all three games in the Southern States Athletic Conference series at Harrison Field.
The Eagles improved to 20-4 overall and 6-0 in the league with the 7-1 and 12-1 victories, while Blue Mountain dropped to 12-11 overall and 0-6 in the conference. The series was scheduled to be played in Blue Mountain, Miss., but was moved to Montgomery due to weather concerns.
Morton's three-game totals were impressive - three home runs, a double, eight hits and 11 RBIs - as Patrick McCarthy's Eagles increased their winning streak to 11. Faulkner outscored Blue Mountain by a combined 43-5 count in the series.
In Game 1, starter and winner Christian Torres (4-1) got plenty of help from the Faulkner bats, which produced seven extra-base hits and three home runs. Nick Cain's two-run double in the first inning staked the Eagles to a 2-0 lead. Mario Amaral made it 3-0 with an RBI single in the third before a Faulkner power surge blew it open. Morton's solo shots in the fourth and sixth innings sandwiched David Palenzuela's two-run blast in the fifth, pushing the advantage to 7-1.
Torres allowed only three hits, with Brandon Montgomery's RBI single resulting in the Toppers' lone run in the bottom of the fifth. Alexis Cruz had doubles and Onix Martinez added one of his own. Christian Dale took the loss for Blue Mountain, dropping to 2-3 on the season.
In the nightcap, Caleb Leach's run scoring single in the bottom of the first gave the Toppers their only lead of the series. The Eagles took the lead in the second, with Morton's two-run double highlighting a three-run inning. In the third Faulkner broke it open, with Morton, Deivy Palmeiro and Chase Morris all adding RBIs as the lead increased to 7-1. In a five-run fourth, Martinez and Morris had back-to-back two-run doubles as the margin grew to 11 runs.
In addition to Morton's three hits in Game 2, Martinez added three and Morris two in the 14-hit attack. Ivan Palaez improved to 3-0, allowing one run on six hits in four innings of work.
The Eagles host Cumberlands (Ky.) at 6 Monday night at Harrison Field.