MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The bats heated up to back up two gems from the circle for Faulkner (3-1) and sweep a first-year Oakwood program (0-6) 4-0 and 8-1 at Wynn Field on Monday afternoon. The day was highlighted by
Julianna Thames tallying a perfect game, the first one for the Lady Eagles program since 2009, in her first start of the young season in the early matchup.
Faulkner 4, Oakwood 0
In a complete game, Thames stood tall and delivered 10 strikeouts over 75 pitches and 21 batters faced. The performance from the junior righthander out of Wetumpka, Ala., is the first perfect game by a Lady Eagle pitcher since Emily Jimmerson registered one on April 11, 2009, over Southern Wesleyan and the first no-hitter since Caitlin Perry came one plunked batter shy of a perfect game against Stillman on March 19, 2019.
"It was, just hit my spots and get them to hit it into some groundballs, some routine plays, and then I'll be good and I can get out of here!" Thames said with a laugh of her mindset going into the final inning. "I have a lot of trust in [our defense]. They're all very solid, and I always feel confident getting them groundballs and popups. Feels good, now time to throw another ball!"
For the second time in as many series, right fielder
Eavie Polk led off the day, reached base and opened the scoring off the at-bat. She reached first and advanced to third via a throwing error on the attempted putout by the third baseman, and came home on the next pitch as the catcher's return throw to the mound was too high for pitcher Sydney Arnett.
As suddenly as the scoring began, it halted until the bottom of the fourth inning. Then, for the third time in as many contests,
Gracie Pittman kickstarted a frame with an extra base knock as she doubled down the left field line.
AnnaMarie Stooksbury placed one in almost the same spot that went for a triple and scored Pittman for a 2-0 lead. After a leadoff single from
Kaileigh Harrison in the bottom of the sixth, Pittman outdid her earlier at-bat by taking a 2-2 offering and sending it over the left field wall to set the final score.
Pittman finished two for three at the plate with a pair apiece of hits, runs and RBI. Stooksbury also collected two hits on three at-bats.
Faulkner 8, Oakwood 1
In game two, the Ambassadors got on base in the first inning for the first time of the day before shortstop
Anna Purvis and Stooksbury, the first baseman and Lee transfer, turned a double play to hand a scoreless game over to their offense.
Ivey Hill got the start at pitcher, going the distance while scattering five hits across 24 at-bats and striking out 12. The lefty native of Warrior, Ala., utilized a devastating changeup that flustered Oakwood every step of the way.
In her first college home contest,
Abby Terrell led off with a double before Purvis walked. Enter Pittman. The four-hole hitter launched one over the center field wall for a three-run shot. It didn't stop there, as
Erika Mitchell promptly stepped up to the plate and delivered a homer of her own to right center to put her team up 4-0 at the end of one inning.
In the bottom of the third, Purvis led off with a standup triple to the gap in right center, setting the stage for Pittman to once again clear the bases, this time with a double to deep left. Two at-bats later, Stooksbury smoked a pitch over the left field wall to bring herself and Pittman home and give Faulkner a 7-0 lead.
The visitors got one run back in the top of the fourth as Lessie Allison stroked a double to center over Terrell's head before scoring off an Arnett hit. Stooksbury ended the threat by snagging a popup at the Oakwood dugout. The Ambassadors held the Eagles off the board in the fourth, but Mitchell changed that as she led off the fifth by lacing a double perfectly down the left field line. She advanced to third off a
Colby Adams flyout before coming home via a grounder through the left side from
Markie Hicks.
The defense nearly ran into trouble in the final frame as the first two batters tallied singles, the second one of which was a popup that fell in the gap as Hill and Stooksbury converged for the would-be out. The next at-bat went to a full count before Hill retired the side. A grounder to
Brianna Boyd at second base turned into a game-ending double play as she connected with Purvis and Stooksbury.
Pittman led the lineup once again with a two of four outing with two runs and four RBI, while Mitchell was two for three at the plate with two runs and an RBI. Purvis, the transfer from fellow SSAC school Blue Mountain Christian, finished with one hit and two runs and three at-bats.
The Lady Eagles head to Gulf Shores, Ala., for the Gulf Coast Invitational for their next five contests to take on a tough field that includes the fifth-ranked team in the country in 2022 national runner-up Freed-Hardeman. Faulkner takes on its sister school for its first game of the tournament on March 3.
