HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Faulkner split a doubleheader Saturday to open a three-game set against SSAC foe William Carey. The Eagles took game one against the No. 4 team in the country before kicking the ball around in the nightcap. Faulkner will attempt to win the series in the rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m.
FAULKNER 8, WILLIAM CAREY 6
The Eagles carried an 8-4 lead into the seventh in game one of the series before the Crusaders got the first two batters aboard in the home half. Faulkner went to the pen for
Jordan Destefano to try and slam the door. Carey plated the two runners aboard on a pair of sacrifice flies before Destefano fanned the final batter of the game for the save.
Faulkner opened the scoring in the first inning when
Johnny Lopez singled home
Juan Trinidad. Lopez scored on a passed ball to push the lead to 2-0 before
Evan Gilliam singled in Eduarny Martinez for the 3-0 lead.
William Carey's Bailee Hendon ripped a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Eagles got a run back in the second when Trinidad singled in
Jorge Lucero.
Orlando Lorduy added to the lead in the fourth when he drove in
Tuane Cope with a single to right. Lorduy then pulled off the front end of a delayed double steal that allowed Trinidad to swipe home and push the lead to 6-2.
After the Crusaders got a run back in the fourth,
Francisco Soriano doubled in Gilliam in the fifth to make it 7-3.
Tuane Cope added the final Faulkner run in the sixth when he scored on a wild pitch.
Marco Ozuna (5-0) picked up the win, striking out eight over six innings of work while walking three and allowing six earned runs. Destefano (2) recorded the save with one inning of work.
Christian Webb recorded three of the Eagles' 13 hits in the game.
WILLIAM CAREY 6, FAULKNER 3
The Eagles scuffled in the nightcap. William Carey plated three runs in the first inning, including two on wild pitches. The Crusaders added another in the second on a throwing error to move the lead to 4-0.
Wesley Estrella got Faulkner back in it with a two-run homer in the third. Martinez drove home Lorduy with an RBI grounder in the fourth to slice it to 4-3. Miscues plagued Faulkner in the sixth when a run scored on an error and again in the eighth when another reached home on a wild pitch, setting the final margin.
Nicholas Graham (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season, striking out eight over four innings of work while issuing six walks and allowing four runs with only one earned.
Faulkner (14-5, 6-2 SSAC) will try to win the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
