MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Missed opportunities plagued the day for the No. 6 Eagles (2-6) as they dropped both games of Friday's doubleheader with (RV) Webber International (12-1) 7-3 and 6-1 at Harrison Field. Faulkner collected just three hits in 15 at bats with runners in scoring position between the two games.
Webber International 7, Faulkner 3
The Eagle offense could not solve the conundrum that was Warrior ace Xavier Rodriguez. The hurler entered the day with a perfect ERA through 20 innings of work in the season and proved his worth fanning nine batters and allowing just one run over six innings despite early trouble.
Sammy De La Cruz drew a leadoff walk in the first but was subsequently caught stealing when
Shawn Ross dropped a single into left field. The catcher gun down came back to hurt the Eagles as
Justice Lucas finessed a double down the third base line, but the shortstop had to hold at third before Rodriguez. With runners on second and third,
Alex Arauz became strikeout victim number two of the inning to get Rodriguez out of the only trouble he'd face until late in the contest with a comfortable lead.
The Warriors hung two runs in the third on
July Sosa in his first outing of the season. The Bronx native struck out six over three innings in his pitch-count shortened return from injury, including bouncing back with two punchouts after the runs.
Richard Rodriguez plated two more in the fourth with a hit to right to extend the lead to 4-0.
Evan Gilliam drove in
Jordan Funk who replaced
Kam Wells on the basepaths after a one-out walk with a single to left to hang the first run on Xavier Rodriguez this season but the Warrior bats answered back in the sixth with three more to put the game comfortably into the visitors' hands.
Shawn Ross hit his first homer of the season with two outs in the bottom of the seventh of the seven inning game to drive in
Juan Trinidad, but the home run proved to be consolation as the Warriors took game one.
Webber International 6, Faulkner 1
A Webber ambush was enough to see the visitors to a series clinching win, plating four in the first five batters highlighted by a Angel Diaz two-run blast.
After the initial roughing,
J.C. Toro settled in well and dealt a fantastic game, allowing just two more hits and striking out six more batters while issuing zero free passes over the next 6.2 innings. Toro proved to the bright spot on a dark second game for the Eagles who went 1-7 with runners in scoring position including having bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fourth before rolling into a double play.
Gilliam got one back in the seventh with the only hit in seven attempts with runners in scoring position, but it was answered with one more in both the eighth and ninth from Webber International, riding the momentum of a shutdown pitching performance, highlighted by starter Dylan Martin striking out nine over six with just three hits and one walk and no runs allowed. Rey Rodriguez struck out four over two before Dawson Young smoked three straight to close the door.
The Eagles look to snap a five game skid Saturday at noon.
