MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Lady Eagles split a midweek doubleheader with Talladega, run-ruling the Tornadoes 11-3 in the opener before dropping the nightcap 2-1.
Faulkner 11, Talladega 3 (5 innings)
The bats struck early and often for Faulkner in the opening game, scattering 12 hits and scoring in four of its five offensive innings.
Shelbie Burbage drew a leadoff walk before swiping second to lead off the bottom of the first.
Taylor Eddy's bunt single advanced the leadoff batter to third before Eddy stole second herself. A passed ball advanced both and scored Burbage.
Ashton Fielding's sacrifice fly scored Eddy to push Faulkner up 2-0 after one.
After working a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third,
Caity Jo Lee drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Burbage.
Colby Adams found two of her four RBIs the next at-bat, doubling to left center for her first extra-bases hit, scoring
Tara Ammons and Eddy.
K'yanna Wimbish scored on Elisa Clay's single to cut the Faulkner advantage to four, but the Lady Eagles responded in the ensuing bottom half with a five-run fourth.
Kendall Bennett scored Burbage again in the fourth with a single to right after Burbage's double and a Eddy single. Fielding's single scored Eddy. After Lee's infield single started a play that scored Bennett. Adams's second double scored Fielding and Lee to wrap up the frame.
Tai Myers struck out swinging, but a dropped third strike allowed her to reach first safely. Myers later scored on a throwing error in the fifth and Raven McGhee touched home off of
Michaela Evans's single to force Faulkner to pick up the bats again in the fifth before an 8-6-3 double-play ended the inning one out early as both teams and umpires miscounted the outs following Myers reaching.
Brianna Cagle drew a leadoff walk and advanced on a Burbage groundout to set the stage for Bennett's run rule walk off double.
Nicole Morrison allowed just five hits and one earned run on 51 pitches for the complete game win.
Talladega 2, Faulkner 1
The Lady Eagle bats took Benadryl in between the two games in the Alabama pollen with just three hits in the seven inning loss and just one in the first five.
Three consecutive two-out Tornado hits gave the guests a 2-0 lead in the top of the third and it proved to be too much for the Lady Eagles to overcome.
Back-to-back singles from
Jordan Boyd and Burbage to lead off the sixth set the stage for
Kaileigh Harrison to sac-bunt her teammates into position but an outside pitch and passed ball allowed the runners to get to second and third without having to give up an out. However, Harrison struck out and Bennett popped out to take away a sacrifice scoring play. Boyd scored on a wild pitch and Burbage advanced to third for Fielding who was hit by a pitch. Ammons unfortunately grounded out to second to halt the biggest threat for the Lady Eagles.
Faulkner worked a three-up, three-down top of the seventh, but its offense mirrored the top half of the inning, ending the game.
Boyd ended with two hits.
Jeri Beasley allowed five hits over 114 pitches in the loss.
The Lady Eagles get ready to take on conference foe Mobile Thursday. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
