Two late home runs highlighed a six run eighth inning lifted Faulkner to a 10-5 win over the second seed Central Methodist (Mo.) in game five of the NAIA Baseball Opening Round - Montgomery Bracket at Harrison Field Tuesday afternoon. 

After the visiting Eagles knotted the game in the top of the eighth 4-4, Hagen Holmstead put the host Eagles ahead on a lead off home run to right field. Myron Mebane followed with a single and made way on the base paths for Sam Anthony. Anthony would score on a passed ball to put Faulkner up 6-4. Te'kwaan Whyte drove in Marcus Ragan and John Michael Mathews with a single to right-center. Whyte would steal second and third before Jacob Freeland launched his ninth home run of the season to seal the rally with a two run blast. 

Central Methodist jumped on Faulkner ace Evan Gillespie early and took a 2-0 lead in the first with two doubles and a single and would hold the lead until the third. Faulkner finally broke the spell of Peyton Long, who locked the top seed down early, to the tune of three runs to take a lead it would hold onto until the eighth. An insurance run was added by DeJhard Kimbrough who scored on a sacrifice fly from Max Guzman in the fifth. 

Gillespie threw 103 pitches over 7.1 innings and struck out three. Brandon Suttles picked up the win in .2 innings of work. Alex Carrillo shut the door in the ninth with a strikeout. 

Long fired a staggering 128 pitches, fanning eight batters in 7.1 innings of work and received the loss. 

Central Methodist will play Thursday at noon against either Hope International or Olivet Nazarene in game seven. Faulkner awaits the winner of game seven in the championship round Thursday at 4 p.m.