GULF SHORES, Ala. - The hits came in wave after wave at the Gulf Coast Sportsplex Friday as the Lady Eagles took the shortcut to a five-inning 14-0 win over Southeastern Baptist and the scenic tour in an eight-inning thriller to get an 8-6 win over Lyon to open the Gulf Coast Invitational.

FAULKNER 14, SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST 0 (5 innings)

The Lady Eagles wasted no time jumping ahead of the first-year program Chargers, plating eight runs in the first. 

Tara Ammons started the scoring with an RBI single to right, setting Ivey Hill up for a two-run single to right after a hit by pitch. Colby Adams's groundout proved productive plating Gracie Pittman who had been beaned with a pitch to reach. Brianna Cagle scored Hill before Kaileigh Harrison followed Adams in productive groundouts scoring Madison McKee. Turning over the lineup with two outs, Shelbie Burbage delivered her first home run of her Faulkner career with an inside-the-park flight around the base paths, scoring two in the process.

Nicole Morrison's first start of the season accentuated the quick offensive start striking out five over five including retiring the side swinging in the second en route to the win. 

Faulkner turned three Charger errors into four runs in the bottom of the second, highlighted by Harrison's two RBI double down the left field line. 

Courtney Haynie turned a double play with Jordan Boyd in the fourth to keep the Chargers off the board with a strong throw to the plate to get the tagging runner at the dish. Boyd picked up an RBI in the bottom half of the frame as well as Markie Hicks as the Lady Eagles scored their 14th run of the day, matching the offensive output of last season's Gulf Coast Invitational opener against Ave Maria.

10 different Lady Eagles picked up a hit in the contest.

FAULKNER 8, LYON 6 (8 innings)

The second game of the day saved dramatics for late as the Lady Eagles scored five unanswered to take an extra innings win. Still down two in the sixth, Ammons delivered a clutch two-out double down the right field line to score Caity Jo Lee and Burbage, who reached on fielder's choices. Harrison advanced the international tiebreaker Cagle in the 8th and reached with a bunt single before she swiped second. As Harrison broke for second, the pitch skipped away and Cagle charged home, beating the ball back to the dish and scoring what would prove to be the winning run as Harrison took third in the background.

In the bottom half of the eighth, Lyon's leadoff bunt poked through the infield and put runners on the corners with nobody out. The next batter popped straight up to Lee at second as the runner on first broke for second and forgot to tag up, allowing an easy, but crucial double play to be turned. The final batter also popped up to Lee to end the game. 

The first inning saw seven players touch home between the Lady Eagles and Scots, but despite putting up three the first time with the bats in hand, Faulkner trailed entering the second. Lyon pushed three more across in the second with a two-out single to put Faulkner down 6-3. The scoreline remained unchanged until Pittmann launched her third homer of the season to lead off the fifth. The sophomore from Prattville tied Kendall Bennett's highwater mark for the team's long balls last season.

Meagan Schwieterman was electric in relief after a tough outing for Julianna Thames. Schwieterman struck out six over 6.1 innings of scoreless work and allowed just three hits and four base runners and earned her second win of the week. 

Harrison finished with three hits on the contest with Burbage, Tara Ammons, Pittman and Mitchell recording two hits each. 

The Lady Eagles take the field for day two of the Gulf Coast Invitational at 9 a.m. Saturday against Avila and follow immediately after with a contest against XULA at 11:15. Read Full Article