LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Faulkner came within one out of its 11th trip to Avista NAIA World Series before falling 7-6 to Georgia Gwinnett Thursday. The decisive game of the NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket saw the host Grizzlies win in walk-off fashion after having trailed 6-2 with two outs in the ninth.
After the Grizzlies got a pair of runners on without the benefit of a hit, Faulkner went to the bullpen. A hit batsman loaded the bases and sent the Eagles back to the relief corps again. With the bases loaded, Henry Daniels drew a hit-by-pitch to narrow it to 6-3. Jackson Cobb followed with a double down the left-field line to plate three and tie the game. Cobb scored the game-winning run on a single off the bat of Paul Winland Jr.
After the teams split their previous two meetings in the event, Faulkner took control of the game in the sixth when it plated three runs.
Francisco Soriano scored on a wild pitch.
Orlando Lorduy coaxed a bases-loaded walk to send
Jack Brinkley home and
Jeremy Moore scored on a double-play ball for the 5-2 advantage. Brinkley helped add an insurance run in the seventh when he dropped a squeeze bunt down the first base line to get
Tuane Cope home for the 6-2 lead.
That appeared as though it would be enough. After
Nicholas Graham worked three and a third innings and allowed just two runs,
Mose Hayes got the next four outs without a GGC player scoring.
Hunter Dupuy then entered and was little short of lights out for four innings. He struck out six and allowed no one to score before leaving with a pair of runners aboard.
After leaving the bases loaded in the first, Faulkner opened the scoring in the second when
Jorge Lucero singled in Soriano. The lead moved to 2-0 in the third when
Johnny Lopez doubled in
Juan Trinidad.
Georgia Gwinnett plated a pair in the fourth before Hayes slammed the door to keep it 2-2. Faulkner (37-17) never trailed in the ball game.
