MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner took both ends of a doubleheader Saturday to finish off a sweep of Blue Mountain and keep its lead over the SSAC field at two games.
FAULKNER 9, BLUE MOUNTAIN 2
J.C. Toro (2-2) was nothing short of electric in game one of the doubleheader, using 70 pitches to twirl a complete game gem that included nine strikeouts over seven innings. He allowed just four hits and one earned run in the outing while issuing no walks and facing only 25 batters.
Faulkner took the lead early as
Alex Arauz's first inning single plated
Juan Trinidad. After an Anthony Lipsey homer tied it in the second, Faulkner fired off eight consecutive runs to take control of the game.
Tommy Reyes-Cruz doubled home
Jordan Funk in the home half of the second to give Faulkner the lead.
Justice Lucas singled in
Shawn Ross in the third to move it to 3-1.
Ben Hargis later scored on an error to make it 4-1. Reyes-Cruz stroked a sacrifice fly later in the inning to drive in Lucas for the 5-1 lead.
Juan Trinidad absorbed a beanball with the bases loaded to leave the lead at 6-1 after three.
Arauz homered to right to open the fourth, setting the lead at 7-1.
Jack Brinkley singled home Lucas later in the frame to move it to 8-1. The final Faulkner run of the game came later in the inning when
Sammy De La Cruz drove in Gilliam on a sacrifice fly to center.
FAULKNER 21, BLUE MOUNTAIN 11 (7 innings)
The final game of the series told a much different tale as the teams combined to use eight pitchers in a contest that featured 348 pitches thrown including 225 by Blue Mountain hurlers.
Faulkner hung a four spot in the first inning but surrendered six in the third and trailed 8-4 heading into the fifth. The offense erupted for 17 runs over the next three innings to win the game in abbreviated fashion.
Lucas got Faulkner on the board in the first with a single to right that scored De La Cruz to tie the game. Funk then doubled home Lucas and Arauz to put Faulkner up 3-1. Gilliam tripled down the right field line to plate Funk and put the Eagles up 4-1.
Faulkner's offense went cold until the fifth when it scored five runs to get back in the game. Lucas scored on a wild pitch to narrow it to 8-5. Trinidad singled home Brinkley and Hargis. Arauz drove in Trinidad and De La Cruz with a single to put the Eagles up 9-8.
Faulkner added six more runs in the sixth. Saenz drove in Funk with a single to right. De La Cruz doubled in Hargis and Gilliam. Lucas singled to plate Ross and Trinidad, leaving Faulkner up 15-8.
Blue Mountain narrowed it to 15-11 in its half of the seventh before the Eagles six more runs in the home half to end the game. Saenz hit a two-run homer. Trinidad stroked a sacrifice fly to plate Brinkley. Funk, Reyes-Cruz and Saenz each drew bases-loaded walks to end the game.
Brayan Garcia (3-2) worked four innings of relief to earn the win.
Faulkner (18-10, 8-1 SSAC) returns to action Thursday at 4 p.m. when it hosts Reinhardt.
