GULF SHORES, Ala. – Faulkner softball split its opening day at the Gulf Shores Invitational Friday, taking an 8-0 victory over Nelson University of Arizona before losing 7-4 to Texas A&M-San Antonio.
FAULKNER 8, NELSON UNIVERSITY 0 (5 innings)
The Lady Eagles took control at the outset with a four-run first inning.
Addyson Jarman singled up the middle to drive in
Chloe Davidson for the first run of the game.
Abby Terrell later singled to drive in
Anna Catherine Segrest, Jarman and
Madelyn Becker for the 4-0 lead.
That run support was plenty for
Reece Patterson (6-1), who faced the minimum in each of the first four innings of play while issuing no walks and allowing just two hits in the game. Still, the Lady Eagle bats scarcely let up.
Gracie Pittman singled in Davidson and Segrest to make it 6-0 in the second.
Sarah Williams drove in
Campbell Hecklinski in the fourth before
Eavie Polk singled to drive in Becker and set the final margin.
TAMU-SAN ANTONIO 7, FAULKNER 4
Faulkner battled out of an early deficit in its second game of the day and unraveled late en route to a 7-4 loss. After TAMU-San Antonio scored a run in each of the first and third innings to go up 2-0, Faulkner got back in it in the top of the fourth.
Kensley Wesley singled to center to plate Pittman to cut it to 2-1.
The Jaguars got that run back in the home half of the fourth to move it to 3-1. Faulkner pulled things even with a crooked number in the fifth. Becker singled in Segrest to narrow it to 3-2. Williams then singled home Pittman to make to tie the game.
After getting the pivotal shutdown inning in the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Eagles appeared poised to take control in the sixth. Hecklinski singled to open the frame before Davidson repeated the feat to put two runners aboard with nobody out. A sacrifice bunt from Segrest put runners in scoring position with one out and the heart of the order due up. However, Faulkner failed to put another ball in play in the inning and left both runners stranded.
The sequence gave the Jaguars new life and they proceeded to notch hits from five of the first six batters in the inning. Two walks and another single later and TAMU-SA had posted four runs in the frame to take a 7-3 lead. The Lady Eagles tried to get back into it with a hit-by-pitch of Becker preceding a Terrell single to center in the seventh. Wesley later singled in Becker to cut it to 7-4, but Faulkner could draw no closer.
