PULASKI, Tenn. – Faulkner softball got its season off to a strong start Tuesday as it swept a doubleheader from Tennessee Southern.
FAULKNER 5, UT SOUTHERN 1
The Lady Eagles prevailed in the season opener as
Meagan Schwieterman twirled a gem of a complete game that featured a career high 11 strikeouts over seven innings with no earned runs allowed. Faulkner fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the third when Shelby Clifton hit a sacrifice fly to center, plating Hayley Parrott.
The Eagles got off the deck in the fifth when
Caity Jo Lee singled in
Shelbie Burbage to tie the game.
Gracie Pittman later stroked a two-run homer to put Faulkner up 3-1. The lead grew in the top of the seventh as Lee scored on error to push it to 4-1.
Colby Adams singled in
Courtney Haynie for the final run of the contest.
Lee, Pittman and Adams recorded two hits each for Faulkner. Burbage and
Tara Ammons had a hit apiece.
FAULKNER 7, UT SOUTHERN 4
Faulkner handled its business in game two of the doubleheader, building a 6-0 lead before the Firehawks got off the deck.
Tara Ammons singled home Lee in the top of the third to open the scoring.
Erika Mitchell hit her first homer of the season in the top of the fourth.
Brianna Cagle and
Markie Hicks later scored in the inning to move the lead to 3-0.
In the top of the fifth, the Lady Eagles added to the lead as a Hicks grounder drove home Mitchell. Cagle then singled in
Taylor Ammons to make it 6-0.
The Firehawks got on the board when Parrott hit a sacrifice fly to plate Bree Brady. Mitchell got the run back for the Eagles when she singled to drive in
Jordan Boyd in the sixth.
Tennessee Southern rallied for three runs in the home half of the seventh before Katlelynn Inness slammed the door. The Faulkner hurler allowed two earned runs over seven innings of work while striking out five and issuing no walks.
Mitchell and
Taylor Ammons each had two hits in the game while Lee,
Tara Ammons, Pittman, Hicks, Cagle and
Kaileigh Harrison notched one apiece.
Faulkner (2-0) is set for its home opener Saturday at noon when it hosts LSU-Alexandria for a doubleheader.