BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. – A stunning last at-bat rally in the seventh gave Blue Mountain College the first game of Friday's doubleheader and left Faulkner scrambling for a nightcap win to take the series.
BLUE MOUNTAIN 8, FAULKNER 7
The Eagles appeared to have things well in hand as they carried a 7-2 advantage into the bottom of the seventh. An error to start the frame turned a groundout into a two-base mistake that benefitted Anthony Lipsey. A Brandon Tyler single drove home Lipsey with nobody away in the inning to cut the deficit to 7-3. Jacob Rousseau later found his way home on a bases-loaded walk to J.T. Tillhouse. When Zack Koon singled home Will Brooks, the margin tightened to 7-5. Bryant Morgan's single then drove in Seth Cochran and Hillhouse to tie the game. Hayden Arant then made his way home on an error to win the game for Blue Mountain. The victory is only the second all time for the Toppers over Faulkner.
The Eagles had commanded the game throughout prior to the late rally.
Alex Arauz singled in
Shawn Ross in the first to put Faulkner up 1-0. Arauz then singled home
Isaiah Brooks in the third to double the advantage.
Isaac Phillips later made his way home on a
Tommy Reyes-Cruz grounder for the 3-0 lead.
Shawn Ross's homer in the seventh.
Sam Anthony tripled in
John Michael Mathews, Reyes-Cruz in the fifth for 6-1 Faulkner lead.
J.C. Toro started the game on the mound for Faulkner. He fanned three and scattered four hits and three walks over five and a third innings of work.
FAULKNER 8, BLUE MOUNTAIN 3
Faulkner pieced together four runs in the top of the second of game two on the way to an 8-3 victory that handed the Eagles the SSAC series. Phillips' grounder drove in
Isaiah Brooks. A bases-loaded walk to
Justin Lara drove in
John Michael Mathews to move it to 2-0. Anthony later singled in Reyes-Cruz and
Justice Lucas for the 4—0 lead.
Faulkner added a run in the fourth as
Jonathan Villa's grounder allowed Lara to score to make it 5-0. After the Toppers scored two in the third, Faulkner found another in the sixth when Villa singed in Lara. The Eagles added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth as Arauz drove in Ross with a single. Mathews then singled in Arauz to cap the Faulkner part of the scoring.
July Sosa struck out six batters over four and two-thirds while scattering three hits and two walks.
