MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner swung the bats effectively from the first pitch to the last Friday night, opening Alumni Weekend with a doubleheader sweep of Southern States Athletic Conference foe Stillman.
FAULKNER 15, STILLMAN 4
The Eagles used a pair of five-run innings to anchor the romp in the first game of the weekend as they scored in five of the six innings at bat.
Cristian Martin got the scoring started in the home half of the first with a single to left that plated
Evan Gilliam.
Jose Vargas followed with a single to right to drive in
Drew Mackie.
Jorge Lucero doubled home Martin to move the advantage to 3-0 before
Trevor Torppa's grounder plated Vargas.
Jack Brinkley's double to left drove in Lucero to set the lead at 5-0 after one.
Faulkner added to it in the second when Vargas hit a sacrifice fly to left that allowed
Francisco Soriano to score. A throwing error on the play got Mackie home for the 7-0 lead.
Soriano belted a three-run homer in the third before Lucero added a two-run shot for the 12-0 lead. The score went to 14-0 in the fourth as Mackie singled in Brinkley and Soriano's single got Zachary Farris home.
Stillman scratched out two runs in the fifth to narrow it to 14-2. Vargas hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth to get Farris home for the 15-2 advantage. Stillman added two more in the seventh to set the final margin.
The offensive fireworks were more than enough to back the effort of
J.C. Toro (4-5), who struck out seven batters over six and a third innings of work. He scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs in the effort.
FAULKNER 12, STILLMAN 2
The offensive barrage proved more modest but equally effective in the second game of the day as Faulkner notched an 12-2 victory to take the series. Lucero got things started in the second with a single to drive in Martin. The third inning saw the lead go to 3-0 on Martin's two-run homer.
Mackie move the lead to 5-0 in the fourth with a single to plate
Josh Smith and Brinkley. Vargas hit a solo homer in the fifth to make it 6-1 and
C.J. Keckler singled in Lucero for the 7-1 advantage.
Torppa singled through the right side in the home half of the seventh to get Vargas home and move the lead to 8-1. Brinkley's grounder to short appeared to plate a run before an interference call retreated Lucero to third and limit the damage in the inning.
Stillman, which got its first run in the fifth inning, added another in the eighth. Faulkner loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before Mackie scored on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Lucero singled to get Soriano home and make it 10-2. A balk with the bases loaded plated Martin to move the advantage to 11-2. Vargas scored on a wild pitch to make it 12-2 and earn the run rule victory.
Alexis Saldana (5-0) struck out 10 batters over seven innings of work while allowing just three hits and one run for the victory.
Faulkner (16-16, 7-7 SSAC) returns to action at noon Saturday when it will play for the sweep. The Eagles will honor the 2013 NAIA National Championship team and will have an alumni game to follow.
