HENDERSON, Tenn. – Faulkner baseball split a midweek road doubleheader with a Receiving Votes foe in Freed-Hardeman University Tuesday. The clash between sister schools provided a pair of hotly-contested games for two squads that are trending upward as postseason play approaches.
FREED-HARDEMAN 6, FAULKNER 4
The Lions entered Tuesday having won five of their last six games before extending that hot streak with a 6-4 victory over Faulkner in game one of the set.
Zakary Farris got the Eagles going in the third inning when he stroked a two-run homer to put Faulkner up 2-0. The Lions answered quickly as Sean Rooney hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Adam Smithson. Baron Ratliff then reached on an error that allowed Will McCall and Christian Presley to score, putting FHU up 3-2. Camden Madding added to the Freed the lead in the fourth when his sacrifice fly drove in William Kelley.
Faulkner got a sacrifice fly from
Jose Vargas in the fifth to plate
Drew Mackie and cut the deficit to 4-3. The Eagles then equalized the game in the sixth when C.J. Mack hit a grounder to second that plated
Jorge Lucero.
The decisive swing of the game came from the bat Camden Madding, who launched a two-run homer in the home half of the sixth. The Eagles got the tying runs aboard in the seventh with singles from Mackie and Vargas but proved unable to drive in either run.
J.C. Toro worked three innings, striking out three and allowing one earned run.
Alexis Saldana (5-2) took the loss, working three innings while striking out three and allowing three earned runs.
FAULKNER 5, FREED-HARDEMAN 2
The Eagles got a three-run double from
Jose Vargas in the sixth inning to take game two 5-2 and split the trip.
Trevor Torppa opened the sixth with a single to right center. Two batters later,
Evan Gilliam dropped down a bunt single. A
Cristian Martin walk loaded the bases to force a pitching change. Vargas greeted the new hurler rudely, doubling to left center to drive in all three runners and put Faulkner up 5-2.
Faulkner got the scoring started in the first when Farris hit a sacrifice fly to plate Gilliam. Freed-Hardeman took the lead on a Will McCall homer in the bottom of the first to put the Lions up 2-1. Vargas had a sacrifice fly in the third to tie drive in Gilliam and tie the game.
Nicholas Graham (3-3) pitched three shutout innings of relief, striking out five batters and allowing one hit in the effort.
Iroel Ruiz got the save, working two innings while scattering two hits and striking out one.
Faulkner (21-18) returns to action Tuesday, April 18 when it hosts Reinhardt for a miweek contest.
