MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Patience at the plate and relatively mistake-free pitching lifted No. 13 Faulkner (29-8, 17-5 SSAC) over No.7 William Carey (30-8, 19-3 SSAC) in an 8-3 win Friday night at Harrison Field to cut the difference between the two teams to just two games in the SSAC standings.
The Eagles ran up the pitch count early on the Crusaders starter Connor Wilson with long at bats and spoiling good pitches to set the tone in the series.
Juan Trinidad led off with a walk before swiping second and advancing on a groundout.
Orlando Lorduy rocketed a grounder up the middle the wound up deep in the outfield for a double to score the first run of the night. Eduarny Martinez was hit by a pitch before a tailor made double play ball could only get one as a couple of bobbles cost the Crusaders the chance to get out of the inning.
Kenny Di Clemente and
Marlon Oviedo drew back-to-back walks to drive in one more run to take a 2-0 lead into the second.
Marco Ozuna (8-2) struck out two looking in the second to work around a single and get the bats back in the dugout. Back-to-back singles from
Christian Webb and Trinidad put two on for
Jeyson Polanco who doubled home the courtesy runner Dariel Colón and Trinidad and chase the starter after 50 pitchers to get just three outs. It seemed like a potential initial positive for the Eagles, but Luke Lycette came in for William Carey. After surrendering a single from
Orlando Lorduy to score Polanco to make it 5-0, he got the next three batters out before twirling four consecutive three-up, three-down innings with only one base runner allowed.
Preston Ratliff led off the fourth inning with a home run to get William Carey on the board 5-1, but Ozuna settled back down after surrendering his first homer of the year, striking out two more to end the inning with two on base.
Thomas Wilhite inherited a runner in the top of the sixth and got two outs on the next two at bats to get out of the frame still up by four. Josh Alexander's two-out double halved the deficit for William Carey in the top of the seventh, but Wilhite escaped with the tying run at the plate by striking out Ratliff.
Things started unraveling for Lycette in the seventh as Trinidad led off the inning with a hit by pitch.
Orlando Lorduy was intentionally walked before Eduarny Martinez's single plated Trinidad for the third time to take a 6-3 lead. Di Clemente drew a bases-loaded walk to score another run before Jack Brinkey drew a pinch hit walk on four pitches to make it 8-3.
Jordan Destefano entered in a non-save scenario but made quick work of the Crusaders, facing seven batters to get the last six outs with three strikeouts to close out the game.
Ozuna ended the night with six strikeouts and one walk over 5.1 innings working around seven hits for just one run against. Faulkner pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts while issuing just three passes while William Carey allowed 10 free passes to six strikeouts.
The Eagles now sit in second place just two games behind William Carey and four games ahead of Loyola (30-11, 16-7) in the SSAC standings.
Faulkner faces William Carey twice Saturday with a chance to take the lead from the Crusaders on tiebreaker with a sweep. First pitch starts at 1 p.m.
