LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Faulkner finished off a perfect weekend Sunday with a 6-5 extra innings victory over No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett. After a pair of wins Saturday, including one that ended the 23-game unbeaten streak of No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan, the Eagles used 10 hits to string together six runs and best the reigning national champions.
The pivotal sequence came in the top of the 10th when
Shawn Ross opened the frame with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error.
Justice Lucas drove the Faulkner shortstop in with a single up the middle for the winning run.
Brayan Garcia worked around a single, a wild pitch, and a passed ball in the home half of the inning to strand the tying run at third base.
Faulkner opened the scoring in the second when
Tommy Reyes-Cruz hit into a fielder's choice to plate
Ben Hargis.
Evan Gilliam then singled home Lucas to push the lead to 2-0.
The Grizzlies battled back in the home half of the inning to tie the game before Faulkner regained the lead in the third.
Alex Arauz singled to drive in
Juan Trinidad to push the lead to 3-2.
Sammy De La Cruz scored on an error in the fifth to move the lead to 4-2.
Gwinnett scored a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game again before Arauz doubled in the seventh to plate Trinidad and put Faulkner in front 5-4. The Grizzlies equalized the game once more in the home half of the seventh with the score staying five-all until Ross touched home in the 10th.
J.C. Toro worked five and two-thirds innings in the start, striking out five and allowing two earned runs. The bullpen carried it the rest of the way, allowing one run over four and a third for the victory.
Nicholas Graham (3-2) worked two scoreless innings for the win while Garcia notched his fourth save of the season.
Faulkner (14-9) has won nine of its last 10 games including six in a row. During that stretch, the Eagles have won six games against teams ranked in the NAIA Top 15. Faulkner travels to Cumberland University Monday before heading to Point Tuesday.
