COCHRAN, Ga. - David Palenzuela's two-run homer in the top of the ninth proved to be enough as Faulkner came from behind to beat Middle Georgia State 7-6 here Saturday to sweep the Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader at Stuckey Field.

The Eagles (15-4 overall, 3-0 SSAC) won Saturday's first game 8-6, taking all three in the hard-fought series by a combined five runs. The Knights dropped to 17-5 overall and 0-3 in the league.

Palenzuela came up with one out and Alexis Cruz, who had walked, on first. The left-handed first baseman took reliever Jacob Wedincamp's first pitch over the right-field wall to give Faulkner a 7-5 lead. Victor Arche (4-1) gave up a run on two hits in the bottom of the ninth, but struck out Blake Chaney to end it.

"Middle Georgia is a very good team, and we were fortunate to win all three of these games," Faulkner head coach Patrick McCarthy said. "We fought through adversity all weekend. I'm really proud of our guys."

The Eagles looked like they would coast to a victory in the seven-inning Game 1, but the Knights had other ideas. Faulkner built a 7-0 lead, sparked by two-run homers from Dario Polanco in the top of the third and Mario Amaral in the top of the fifth. Also in the fifth Dennis Morton knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly and Darrius Jennings singled in two. Middle Georgia batted around in their half of the inning, however. With the bases loaded and one out, Faulkner reliever Kurt Lipscomb came in for starter Christian Torres and was greeted by Clint Wynn's two-RBI single. Andy Mocahbee singled in another to make it 7-3 and Alan Mocahbee followed with a three-run homer to trim the deficit to 7-6.

Faulkner added an insurance run in the sixth without the benefit of a hit. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Nick Cain, who hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored pinch-runner Preston Anderson to make it 8-6. The Knights threatened again in the sixth, but with two runners on and one out the Eagles turned to closer Austin Moreland, who struck out the next two batters to end the inning. Middle Georgia put two runners on again in the seventh, but Moreland retired the final two hitters to earn his fourth save. Torres allowed three earned runs on only two hits in 4.1 innings of work to improve to 3-1 on the season. Faulkner had only five hits in the opening-game victory, three of which came from Jennings.

In Game 2, Middle Georgia scored single runs in each of the first three innings off of Eagles' starter Ivan Pelaez. Andy Mocahbee singled in a run in the first, Jesus Monserrat did the same in the second, and Clint Wynn homered in the third to put the Knights out front. Deivy Palmeiro's solo home run in the second was Faulkner's only run through three innings. Trailing 3-1 in the fourth, the Eagles drew a run closer on Morton's RBI double. At third after a Knight passed ball, Morton scored to tie the game on a wild pitch by Middle Georgia State starter Nick Junger.

Both teams scored twice in the fifth. Amaral's two-run bomb, his fifth of the season, gave Faulkner the lead, only to have Hayden Nechanicky tied it with a two run single. The teams were scoreless over the next three innings, setting the stage for Palenzuela's heroics in the ninth

Faulkner welcomes 14th-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan to Harrison Field Tuesday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.