Faulkner stifled Loyola 13-4 and 12-2 Saturday at Harrison Field to increase its win streak to eight consecutive games. The Eagles improve to 30-8 overall and 14-1 in SSAC play. The two sides combined for 13 doubles between the two games after totaling 12 yesterday.

Faulkner 13, Loyola 4

The Eagles scored nine of its 13 runs in the third and fourth innings to put the game out of reach for the visitors highlighted by Tyler Paulsen (JR/Jolliet, Ill.)'s grand slam in the third. After recording two outs on the first two batters in the third, the inning shifted when Max Guzman (JR/Miami, Fla.) was hit by a pitch. Jacob Freeland (SR/Cape Coral, Fla.) followed with a single before Troy Black (SO/Dayton, Ohio) reached on a walk. Hagen Holmstead (JR/Salt Lake City, Utah) was hit by the a pitch for the fifth time since last Friday against Middle Georgia to drive in Guzman to take a 2-1 lead and set the stage for the Jolliet, Ill. native to clear the bases with his first home run of the season. 

Faulkner wasted no time in the fourth finding two infield singles and a throwing error to score Marcus Ragan (SR/Vicksburg, Miss.). Te'kwaan Whyte (SR/Stone Mountain, Ga.) would advance to third on the error and would score from a Guzman single. DeJhard Kimbrough (JR/Atlanta, Ga.), who replaced Guzman on the basepaths, stole second and third before scoring on another throwing error, this time from the catcher. Black's sacrifice fly would score Freeland to put the Eagles ahead 10-2. 

Troy Black was hit by a pitch to start the second inning before cashing in on a walk, stolen base and a John Michael Mathews (JR/Birmingham, Ala.) sacrifice fly to score the opening run. 

Ragan found a double to left center in the fifth and eventually scored on a fielder's choice from Kimbrough.

Trystin Raikes (JR/Ottawa, Ill.) turned a 2-1 count over the left field fence for his first home run of the season driving in Zack Glines (JR/Dalton, Ga.) who ran for Black in the process.

Antonio Frias (JR/Panama City, Panama) picked up the win with six innings of two run and five hit pitching. The two-time SSAC Pitcher of the Week struck out 10 batters. Staton Todd (JR/Clinton, Miss.) closed the door surrendering two runs on two hits in the seventh. 

Faulkner 12, Loyola 2

The Eagles late outburst of scoring triggered the run rule in the seventh after entering the fifth just 1-0 ahead. Faulkner held the Wolfpack off the board until the seventh despite surrendering nine hits over the course of the contest due to bend-but-don't-break pitching from Kyle Laberge (JR/Mansfield, Texas), Jacob Hulcher (SR/Montgomery, Ala.) and Brandon Suttles (SR/Panama City, Fla.).

Jonathan Villa (JR/Ensenada, Mexico)'s leadoff double in the third was followed by a sacrifice bunt from Ragan to advance Kimbrough, the courtesy runner for Villa. Whyte drove Kimbrough home with a double of his own for the first run of the game.

Two errors and three walks helped Faulkner turn three hits into six runs in the fifth. Paulsen's leadoff double was followed by an error on a sacrifice bunt from Mathews. Villa laced his second double to deep right-center to score Paulsen and Mathews. Two stright walks were followed by two strikeouts with three runners on before Black drew a bases loaded walk. Holmstead's popup into shallow left-center was dropped by the Loyola shortstop to score Ragan and Whyte. Paulsen's second double of the inning scored Black and put the home team up 7-0.

Guzman crushed the first pitch he saw in the sixth over the batter's eye in straightaway center for his ninth of the season to put Faulkner up 9-0. 

The Wolfpack put four hits together in the seventh to cut into the Faulkner lead 9-2. The bottom of the seventh saw Black and Holmstead reach to open the inning up before Paulsen struck out swinging. Loyola's catcher dropped the third strike and overthrew his first baseman, allowing Paulsen to reach third and Black and Holmstead to score. Mathews ended the game with a sacrifice fly to center to summon the run rule into action. 

Laberge struck out three over three innings of two hit pitching but missed out on the win by not pitching half of the game as the starter.  Hulcher fanned three through three innings while allowing three hits and picked up the win. Suttles allowed both runs in the seventh. 

The Eagles will welcome in-state foe Mobile to Harrison Field Friday at 6 p.m. for an SSAC series. This series will be the last three contests of an 11 game homestand.