MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A Tra'mayne Holmes two-run homer anchored Faulkner's (8-1) 3-1 victory over Shawnee State (Ohio) (3-6) in Game 1 of this evening's doubleheader at Harrison Field, but an explosive fifth inning in the nightcap clinched the 7-6 win for the Bears.

A Reid Long RBI single in the first inning of the opener put the home team on the board before Holmes went yard in the third to cap Faulkner's scoring efforts.

The Bears' lone run came on a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning. 

Paolo Montezuma put the Eagles in front 1-0 in the third inning of the second bout with a single to right center while Deivy Palmeiro extended the advantage by another run with an additional RBI single in the fourth.

It was again in the fifth inning that Shawnee State broke the scoring silence and did so this time in aggressive fashion. The Bears orchestrated seven runs on four hits and a defensive error while Faulkner looked to extinguish the fire with the assistance of three different arms on the mound.

Once the dam was finally mended, the Eagles immediately went to work at the plate.

Faulkner loaded the bases in the bottom of that same inning giving Long the opportunity to punch in a run with a bullet to the infield.

T.J. Condon then blasted the very next pitch into the night sky in left to pull the battle within a single score.

Faulkner ultimately surrendered the tying run at third base in the do-or-die seventh inning.

Junior Ramirez got the the start in the first matchup and allowed one earned run on two hits while striking out four batters in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Braden Olive (2-0) followed Jose Agosto's two-walk effort from the rubber in the fifth with a lights-out performance over the ensuing 2 2/3 innings. The junior lefty booked five strikeouts while giving up a lone hit to earn the win.

Long secured the save while allowing a single hit and fanning three batters amidst the final six outs. The left-hander was also 3-for-4 at the plate in the opener and had two RBIs in the series.

Ivan Pelaez's (2-1) otherwise brilliant effort from the mound in Game 2 was eclipsed by the decisive fifth inning. The senior lefty gave up four earned runs on three hits while striking out seven batters in four innings of credit the season's first loss.

Dustin Hagy and Tanner Disibio logged one and two outs, respectively, to bail the birds out of the fifth-inning fiasco and allowed an earned run each.

Jonathan Wilkins kept the Bears from causing further damage with a no-hit, two-strikeout gunning in the final two innings.

John Price went 2-for-3 in Game 1 while Palmeiro and Olivier Basabe each did the same in Game 2.

Faulkner will again host Shawnee State in doubleheader action tomorrow afternoon beginning at 2.