MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The top of the lineup combined for seven hits, four runs and three RBIs as the Eagles beat Tennessee Southern Tuesday night at Harrison Field in the first home game of the season.
The bottom of the second inning started off with a
C.J. Keckler single after
Chance Denson struck out the side in the top half.
Kendall Reese saw his first action as an Eagle as he ran for the backstop and reached third on a
Trevor Torppa double down the left field line to flip the lineup to the top.
Evan Gilliam drew a walk to load the bases before
Drew Mackie's infield dribbler drove home the tying run to answer a Firehawk first inning sacrifice fly.
Cristian Martin and
Francisco Soriano drew back-to-back walks to take the lead for good.
Juan Trinidad drove in a fourth run of the inning with a grounder to third.
Gilliam doubled down the left field line to lead off the fourth before getting to third on a wild pitch. Martin would drive in the center fielder with a single before working his way to third over the next couple of at-bats where Trinidad drove the left fielder in for his second RBI of the night.
Another sacrifice fly in the fifth brought the Firehawks within four at 6-2 but a
Jack Brinkley bases-loaded pinch hit double scored two to put the game out of reach.
The Firehawks would draw a couple back in the ninth to make things interesting, but
Nicholas Graham shut the door with his third strikeout of his lone inning of the night to end the game.
Cristian Martin starred on the night going three for four with two RBIs and a run scored as well as a tremendous diving grab to end the top of the sixth. Gilliam and Mackie each went two for four.
A quartet of Faulkner bullpen arms held the Firehawks, who entered averaging 13 runs a game and with a .381 team batting average, to just nine hits and five runs. Denson had a strong start, including striking out the side in the second before
Hunter Dupuy took over in the third and fanned four while allowing just one earned run in three innings of work en route to the win.
Iroel Ruiz delivered three innings of one hit pitching with a pair of strikeouts facing just one over the minimum.
Faulkner hits the road to Babson Park, Fla. for a massive series with No. 9 Webber International with a doubleheader slated to start at 1 p.m. Friday and a single game Saturday at 11. The Warriors swept the Eagles in Montgomery last season, but Faulkner won the matchup in Lewiston 7-2.
