MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner got quality starts in the circle from a pair of debuting pitchers and a big day at the plate from
Tara Ammons in a doubleheader sweep of Martin Methodist Tuesday.
FAULKNER 5, MARTIN METHODIST 1
Megan Schwieterman started the opener for Faulkner, retiring the first two batters on three pitches before running into trouble with three straight walks. She then induced a pop out to shallow left-center for get out of the jam.
The Lady Eagles rewarded with run support quickly. In the home half of the first,
Shelbie Burbage hit a leadoff triple to deep right. After a
Kendall Bennett walk,
Tara Ammons stroked a single to deep center field that plated both runners for the 2-0.
Schwieterman fanned two in a 1-2-3 top of the third inning before Faulkner piled on more support in the home half. Bennett singled ahead of an
Ashton Fielding bunt hit. A Martin Methodist throwing error on the bunt play allowed Bennett to score for the 3-0 lead.
Ammons followed with a double down the rightfield line to drive in Fielding. Following a
Caity Jo Lee single,
Colby Adams doubled in Ammons to set the advantage at 5-0.
Martin got on the board in the top of the seventh when Haley Barnes singled in Savannah Sands to set the final margin.
Schwieterman finished with six strikeouts over seven innings of work while scattering eight hits and five walks in her Faulkner debut.
Taylor Eddy finished with a three-hit game. Bennett and Fielding had two hits apiece.
FAULKNER 7, MARTIN METHODIST 1
Freshman
Julianna Thames made her collegiate debut in game two, scuffling in the top of the first inning before setting in the rest of the way. Thames gave up a leadoff single to Hannah Hayes to start the game. Samantha King later singled Hayes in for the 1-0 Martin Methodist lead.
The advantage proved short-lived as Faulkner fired back in the home half of the inning. Burbage drew a leadoff walk before Eddy singled. Bennett executed a sacrifice bunt to advance the duo before Ammons swung the big bat again with a two-run double to put Faulkner up 2-1.
Erika Mitchell followed with a single. Ammons scored on the throw to move the lead to 3-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Faulkner all but put the game out of reach. Eddy singled to open the inning ahead of walks by Bennett and Ammons. Mitchell then walked to force in Eddy for the 4-1 lead.
Nicole Morrison then singled in Bennett to make it 5-1.
Hannah Crabtree, who entered the game to pinch run for Ammons, scored on a
Markie Hicks RBI grounder to make it 6-1.
Jordan Boyd then drove in Mitchell with a grounder for the RBI and the 7-1 lead.
After the rocky first, Thames faced only two batters above the minimum the rest of the way as she cruised to a complete game win that included a strikeout as well as four hits and two walks.
Eddy added two more hits to her day. Ammons concluded the evening with a combined 5-for-5 effort that included two doubles, five RBIs and two runs scored.
Faulkner (3-1) travels to Gainesville, Ga. Saturday to take on Brenau University in a doubleheader.
