MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Top-ranked and seeded Faulkner (48-6) dealt a 14-6 pummeling to No. 8 Loyola (24-30) in tonight's Southern States Athletic Conference tournament showdown thanks in large part to a seven-run seventh inning and five Wolfpack errors.

A single up the middle followed closely by a well-struck twin-RBI double to hard left field put Loyola in a 3-0 lead in third inning, but T.J. Riles trimmed the deficit a point with a beautiful bunt in the ensuing at-bat.

The Wolfpack then countered with a two-run triple off the wall at left-centerfield in the top of the fourth to claim a 5-1 advantage.

The Eagles continued to play methodical ball, however, and secured a run on a wild throw early in the bottom of the same frame before Austin Paschke pulled the event within a run courtesy of a two-score blast to right field.

A Reese Cooley sacrifice fly and subsequent run on a wild pitch catapulted Faulkner into a one-run lead in the fifth, while a Te'kwaan Whyte single made it a 7-5 contest in the sixth.

The Wolfpack again made it a single-run affair in the top of the seventh inning, but Faulkner sent scoring off the rails with an explosive offensive effort soon after.

Tyler Thornton (6-0) fanned 10 batters while surrendering five earned runs on eight hits scattered over 6 2/3 innings in the win.

Brandon Suttles booked the final out of the seventh inning with a strikeout while Alex DuBord and Jake Kolterman tallied a pair of strikeouts each in the eighth and ninth, respectively.

Whyte was 3-for-4 and knocked in a run while Paschke, Rusber Estrada, Ryan Rosa and Gage West each hit .500. Paschke had three RBIs and scored and Estrada drove in a pair of runs and scored. Rosa scratched a mark each in the run and RBI columns while West knocked in a run.

Faulkner will next take on fourth-seeded William Carey tomorrow at 7 p.m.