NEW ORLEANS, La. – Faulkner's comeback effort proved all for not Friday night as Loyola scored five unanswered runs to win with a walk-off grand slam off the bat of Allen Dennis for a 10-6 victory.

Loyola trailed 6-5 with one out in the bottom of the eighth when Peyton LaCoste singled through the hole at short to drive in Landon Trosclair and tie the game. A pair of walks and a single loaded the game for the Wolfpack in the bottom of the ninth. Dennis stepped to the plate with only one away and parked a 3-1 offering beyond the left field fence to end the game.

Michael Calamari opened the scoring in the home half of the first with a solo homer to right. The Eagles regained the lead in the top of the second. Jonathan Villa singled home Sam Anthony to tie the game. Tommy Reyes-Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in John Michael Mathews and put Faulkner up 2-1.

Loyola took the lead back in the bottom of the third with a four-run rally. Calamari doubled in Patrick Crifasi and Payton Alexander before Dennis hit a two-run shot for the 5-2 Wolfpack lead.

Faulkner got one back in the top of the fifth when Anthony singled home Reyes-Cruz. The Eagles chipped away at the deficit further in the sixth with a solo homer from Justice Lucas. Isaac Phillips hit a grounder to second to plate Shawn Ross and tie the game in the seventh. Mathews later singled in Anthony for the 6-5 lead.

July Sosa worked five innings on the mound, striking out seven while allowing six hits and five earned runs. John Blanchard III started for Loyola, working five innings with seven hits, four walks and two earned runs.

Faulkner (17-3, 5-2 SSAC) will look to even the series in Saturday's doubleheader, which is set to being at noon.