Despite middle inning pitching woes, Faulkner downed Loyola 11-7 Friday to extend its SSAC leading record to 12-1.

The Eagles took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Te'kwaan Whyte (SR/Stone Mountain, Ga.) doubled home Marcus Ragan (SR/Vicksburg, Miss.). Max Guzman (JR/Miami, Fla.) then doubled in Whyte before making it home on a Jacob Freeland (SR/Cape Coral, Fla.) single. The three-run rally put the Eagles up 8-5.

Faulkner added to the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Hagen Holmstead (JR/Salt Lake City, Utah) scored on a wild pitch. Holmstead doubled in Sam Anthony (JR/Columbus, Ga.) in the seventh for the 10-6 advantage. Anthony drove in Ragan with a single in the bottom of the eighth for the final Faulkner run of the game.

The Eagles opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when Tyler Paulsen (JR/Jolliet, Ill.)'s sacrifice fly drove in Troy Black (SO/Dayton, Ohio). John Michael Mathews (JR/Birmingham, Ala.) drove in Holmstead with a grounder to second for a 2-0 lead.

Faulkner took a 4-2 lead in the third when Guzman scored on a Freeland sacrifice fly and Holmstead then singled in Freeland.

The Eagles scored again in the fifth when Freeland alertly advanced on an error.

Alex Carrillo (SR/West Covina, Calif.) (2-2) picked up the win, working four and a third innings while striking out four and allowing four hits.

Faulkner (28-8, 12-1 SSAC) hosts a doubleheader with Loyola Saturday at 1 p.m.