MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner (19-2, 4-0 SSAC) bolted out of a brief deficit and into a 9-4 Game 1 victory in this afternoon's Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader before securing the sweep with a 4-2 decision in the final contest. The Lady Eagles are on an 11-game hot streak and the current record represents the best start in 27 years of Faulkner softball.
The Knights worked themselves into bases-loaded situation in their first trip to the plate and eventually scored on walk in Game 1.
The Lady Eagles juiced the bases in the bottom of the next frame, however, and made good with two runs on a wild pitch fiasco before Taylor Nelson's short single to centerfield brought in a third.
Things got even crazier just moments later when Faulkner tallied three more runs on a Bailie Trotter single up the gut.
A fielding and subsequent throwing error from the centerfielder kept Trotter trucking through the bases allowing her to score without ever really hitting the breaks.
A double from Taylor Ammons put a second runner in scoring position for the birds and an ensuing two-RBI double from Shelby Brown off the wall just inside the third base foul line brought the run total to eight in the second inning.
Brown went for more distance in the fourth with a solo bomb to left-center field.
MGS refused to go away, however, and aggressive hitting paired with slightly glitchy Faulkner defensive work paved the way to three runs in the fifth inning, upsetting the Lady Eagles' run-rule hopes.
Caitlin Perry (9-1) scattered nine hits over seven innings while striking out six batters and allowing three earned runs in the win.
Faulkner scored in the first inning of the nightcap on a Knight infield error and remained quiet until the sixth when Hannahlee Harris' bases-loaded single extended the Lady Eagle lead to three runs.
Tara Ammons then rounded out the inning with a rocket-fueled RBI single to right.
Once again, MGS proved resilient when Madison Bivins rocked a two-run shot to left-center, cutting the Faulkner lead in half.
Sound pitching from Emma Cornell backed by stellar infield work thwarted the Knight surge at the homer.
Cornell (9-0) remains unbeaten after surrendering nine hits and two earned runs in the win. The senior had three strikeouts.
Harris went 4-for-8 on the day and had two RBIs and scored in Game 2.
Brown was 3-for-4 in the opener and knocked in three runs and scored twice.
Shelbie Burbage was 2-for-3 in the final event and scored.
Faulkner will next host Bethel in conference action on Friday. The doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
