MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The No. 7 team in the country proved why it is so highly regarded nationally Friday afternoon at Wynn Field as the Lady Eagles (22-14, 10-10 SSAC) lost both games of the SSAC doubleheader to national title contender William Carey (37-6, 17-3 SSAC) 2-1 and 6-2.
WILLIAM CAREY 2, FAULKNER 1
A pitching duel broke out between two teams averaging over six runs per game offensively as
Meagan Schwieterman (16) went toe-to-toe with one of the country's best pitchers annually, Haley Nations (17-3), but a seventh-inning leadoff walk put the eventual winning run aboard for the Lady Crusaders. The lone free pass issued by Faulkner's game one starter came back to hurt after a sac bunt set the stage for an RBI single by Brooke Tanner.
Gracie Pittman tied the game to capitalize on a sixth inning leadoff single from
Shelbie Burbage for the cleanup hitter's 30th RBI of the season. However, the Lady Eagles could not find much more success as Nations struck out 11 batters and allowing just five base runners in the game.
An unearned run in the fourth inning put the visitors ahead, but Schwieterman stranded seven runners throughout the game allowing just one earned run against the ninth-ranked offense in the country in runs scored.
Faulkner's biggest chance to take the lead came in the third as
Nicole Morrison led off with a walk followed by a
Brianna Cagle bunt single and a
Kaileigh Harrison walk to load the bases with nobody out, but a pair of strikeouts and a put out at the plate left the game scoreless.
WILLIAM CAREY 6, FAULKNER 2
Faulkner drew first blood in game two trying to draw a home split, but a five-run third inning highlighted by a grand slam by Mary Grace Turner powered William Carey to a season sweep.
Pittman's double punished a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, scoring Burbage once again. The lead would be held until Turner hit her 12th homer of the year to clear the bases with nobody out in the third. The Lady Crusaders would get another in the inning to take a 5-1 lead. Burbage brought home
Madison McKee with a single after a six-pitch battle in the fourth inning with two outs to scratch one back, but no Faulkner runner saw third after then as William Carey scored an insurance run in the seventh.
Julianna Thames and
Ivey Hill combined to allow just five hits over the final 4.2 innings with no earned runs in relief of
Katelynn Inness (5-6) who suffered the loss. McKee and
Courtney Haynie had two hits each in the loss.
Faulkner welcomes Talladega Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. for Senior Day as the Lady Eagles look to snap a three-game skid. The Lady Eagles sit in fourth in the SSAC with three games on either side of them from third (Middle Georgia) and fifth (Brewton-Parker) with road contests against each of the sides looming over the next week with the conference tournament two weeks away.
