Sparks from Friday intensified Saturday as Faulkner and Bethel once again split Saturday's SSAC doubleheader at Wynn Field to set the stage for what should be a passionate tournament game Thursday in Decatur, Ala. The Lady Eagles took the first game 4-0 before falling 11-7 in game two. The results place Faulkner in a tie for fourth with Bethel in the league standings, but the Wildcats take the four seed due to the better record against top-seeded Mobile.

Faulkner 4, Bethel 0

Caitlin Perry (SR/Montgomery, Ala.)'s senior day game was a perfect display of what Eagle fans have grown used to seeing in the circle from the All-American. The lone senior on this Lady Eagles squad threw a gem - a complete game shutout while striking out seven Wildcats and allowing just four hits. 

Faulkner opened the scoring in the fourth when Ashton Fielding (JR/Rockford, Ala.)'s single down the left field line caused trouble for the outfielder who bobbled the ball, allowing Abbigail Barron (JR/Panama City, Fla.) to come around and score. 

The fifth inning saw the Kendall Bennett (JR/Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) deliver a two-run single with two outs, scoring Dakota Berry (JR/Milton, Fla.) and Brianna Cagle (SO/Decatur, Ala.). Fielding finalized the scoreline the next at bat driving in Taylor Parker (JR/Corner, Ala.) from second.

Bennett, Fielding and Cagle each tallied two hits in the contest. 

Bethel 11, Faulkner 7

The Lady Eagles took their first lead of the game, a 7-6 advantage, in the bottom of the sixth before a five run seventh inning gave the Wildcats the game in an offensive battle. The two sides combined for 24 hits and 18 runs. 

Bethel claimed a 2-0 lead out of the gate on a two-RBI single from Lexee Miller, but Barron quickly cut into that lead with a solo shot to left-center in the home half of the first. The Wildcats would push a run across in the third to hold a 3-1 lead.

Bennett leveled the score in the third with a double to right-center to score Abby Tindol (FR/Billingsley, Ala.) and Barron. 

The Wildcats carried a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth before a Tara Ammons (SO/Prattville, Ala.) groundball was mishandled by the Bethel shortstop allowing Bennett to touch home. 

Parker scored on a Bennett grounder to third that was misplayed by the defender in the sixth with one out to claw the Lady Eagles back within one. Ammons drove in Julianne Wilkes (JR/Deatsville, Ala.), who was running for Barron, to tie the game with two outs before Maggie Tipton (JR/Selma, Ala.) scored the go-ahead run on a Shelbie Burbage (SO/Prattville, Ala.) grounder that was also mishandled by the visiting third baseman. 

Two runs came across for Bethel on controversial calls at the plate which rattled Faulkner and allowed three more runs to score on wild pitches to seal the fourth game's result.

Fielding was tabbed with the loss despite fanning five in three innings of relief work for Bailey Whitfield (FR/Alabaster, Ala.) who allowed six runs in four innings. 

The rubber match is slated for Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex in Decatur, Ala.