MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner took game one Saturday, getting a leg up in what figures to be a pivotal three-game set between two teams angling for position in the SSAC and the NAIA Top 25. The Eagles dropped Loyola 11-4 behind a stellar start from
Marco Ozuna and an offensive performance that saw nine different players hit safely.
Johnny Lopez staked his team to an early lead when he launched a two-run homer to right-center in the bottom of the first.
Francisco Soriano added to the margin in the fourth with a two-run double that drove in Lopez and
Evan Gilliam.
Wesley Estrella moved it to a 5-0 lead with a sacrifice fly that plated Soriano later in the frame.
Gilliam got in on the fun in the fifth with a two-RBI single to push Lopez and
Juan Trinidad home for the 7-0 advantage. The score remained there until the top of the seventh when the Wolfpack chased Ozuna, plating its first run on of the game on a Landon Trosclair double down the rightfield line. Jake Mills stroked a sacrifice fly and Trosclair scored on a wild pitch to narrow it to 7-3.
Faulkner wasted little time getting that trio of runs back along with one more in the home half of the inning. Estrella tripled in Soriano and
Darius Anderson.
Jack Brinkley doubled Estrella across and Cam Webb singled to plate Brinkley, moving the lead to 11-3.
Ozuna (6-0) struck out seven over 6.2 innings of work while allowing three earned runs for the victory.
Tyberius Correa pitched a scoreless outing in his season debut before
Evan Valencia closed with 1.2 frames. Lopez and Gilliam buoyed the offense with three hits apiece while Estrella notched three RBIs.
Faulkner (16-5, 8-2 SSAC) and Loyola (15-4, 6-4 SSAC) square off again Sunday in a doubleheader to close the series. In addition to the battle for the conference title, both teams are eyeing the release of the next NAIA Top 25 next week with hopes of favorable placement amid the field of the country's best teams.
