MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner got just enough offense in game one and a dominant performance in the nightcap to take both ends of a conference doubleheader against Tennessee Southern Saturday as it finished is opening weekend of SSAC play with a sweep.
FAULKNER 6, TENNESSEE SOUTHERN 5
The Eagles sealed the series victory in game one but had to hold on to do it.
Orlando Lorduy opened the scoring with a solo homer in the home half of the first inning. Eduarny Martinez roped a one-out single to right in the second before making it home on a Luis Lizarraga double to right-center to move the lead to 2-0. A single by
Anthony Bassett Torres and a hit-by-pitch of
John-Michael Riley loaded the bases.
Jeyson Polanco coaxed a walk to plate Lizarraga and leave Faulkner up 3-0.
The Firehawks got on the board with a Gattis Henley solo homer in the third. Faulkner expanded on its 3-1 lead in the fourth with a Lorduy's second blast of the game, a three-run homer that also drove in Torres and
Tevin Landrum.
The Eagle lead all but disappeared in the fifth when Brayden Buckner launched a grand slam to right-center to narrow the margin to 6-5.
Horacio Cruz responded by retiring the next two hitters following the grand slam. Cruz then worked around a leadoff double in the sixth by striking out two straight hitters before issuing a walk to end his outing.
Jordan Destefano entered to retire Henley and strand both runners to preserve the lead into the seventh. The final inning proved as tense as the previous with a single and a hit-by-pitch putting the tying and go-ahead runs aboard with two out. Destefano locked in and got the strikeout to end the game and record his third save of the season.
Thomas Wilhite (3-0) got the victory as he worked four innings while allowing one hit and issuing three walks. He allowed four earned runs in the outing. Destefano fanned two hitters over an inning and a third while allowing one hit and issuing no walks.
Faulkner recorded nine hits in the contest with Lorduy, Martinez and
Christian Webb notching two apiece.
FAULKNER 10, TENNESSEE SOUTHERN 0
The Eagles brought the run support early and often in game three of the series as Polanco launched his second homer of the weekend in the first inning. The two-run shot also drove in Riley, who opened the frame with a leadoff walk. The 2-0 lead grew by one in the second when Edrien Martinez made the Firehawks pay for issuing a pair of two-out walks as he singled to right to drive in Polanco.
Lizarraga opened the bottom of the third with a double down the leftfield line. He later scored on a two-out single up the middle by Torres to make it 4-0. Faulkner pushed the lead to five in the fourth as Polanco walked and later scored on a wild pitch. Eduarny Martinez singled and scored on a Lizaragga base hit to left.
Dissatisfied with a 6-0 lead, Faulkner added on in the fifth.
Kenny Di Clemente walked and moved to third on a Torres double. He made it home on a balk for the seventh run of the game. Riley followed with a double to left to get Torres across the dish for the 8-0 lead.
The Eagles pushed two more runs across in the sixth as Webb walked and gave way to Michal Archie II. The latter stole second base and scored on a
Tevin Landrum double to left for the 9-0 advantage. Polanco then doubled to left-center to get Landrum home and set the final margin.
The offense was more than enough to back up the efforts of
Mose Hayes (2-0), who dazzled for 6.1 innings of work. Hayes faced the minimum in each of the first four innings of work before a walk with an out in the fifth gave UTS its first baserunner. A fielding error extended the inning but Hayes struck out a batter to end the frame. Hayes again faced the minimum in the sixth and left himself in position to chase a no-hitter in the seventh. He got the first batter of the seventh to foul out before finally giving up a basehit with one away in the frame. Hayes struck out four, allowed one hit and issued one walk in 6.1 innings before giving way to
Roberto Romero, who needed only seven pitches to retire the two batters he faced to end the game.
Faulkner (11-2, 3-0 SSAC) hits the road Tuesday to go to Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn. for a single game with a 3 p.m. first pitch. The Eagles then travel to Thomasville, Ga. next weekend for an SSAC series at Thomas University before heading to Blue Mountain Christian a week later for another. Faulkner returns home Tuesday, March 11 for a doubleheader against Talladega.
