Box Score By DEAN KELLY, FSN
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - No. 3 Faulkner relied on strong pitching to defeat Cumberlands (Ky.) 7-1 here Monday night in the opener of a three-game non-conference series at Harrison Field.
The Eagles (21-4) got 5.2 innings of two-hit pitching from starter Marco Blanchard (1-0), who struck out six Patriots while walking only one. He allowed a solo homer to the Patriots' Jose Alonzo for the visitors' lone run. Miguel Castellanos and Brandon Suttles combined to shut out Cumberlands (18-6) over the final 3.1 innings.
Faulkner jumped ahead with one run in the first without the benefit of a hit. Dario Polanco walked to open the game. He stole second before Alexis Cruz walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, with Polanco scoring on David Palenzuela's sacrifice fly off the bat of David Palenzuala. Alonzo's homer in the fourth tied the game at 1, but the Eagles regained the lead for good an inning later.
A run-scoring double by Cruz made it 2-1, and Faulkner blew the game upon with a five-run sixth. In the inning there were five hits, including a two-run double by Onix Martinez, and RBI singles from Dennis Morton and Cruz. Another run scored on an errant throw on a stolen base by Polanco.
The Patriots' Logan Hicks (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs in five innings of work. Faulkner had seven hits, with Cruz and Morton collecting two apiece, and was the beneficiary of four Cumberlands errors.
The Eagles and Patriots play a pair of seven-inning games Thursday afternoon beginning at 3.
