MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner (32-12, 20-9 SSAC) rallied from a slow start on Thursday afternoon to split the doubleheader with Mobile (27-21, 14-15 SSAC) at Harrison Field and maintain an outside chance at a share of the SSAC regular season championship.
MOBILE 12, FAULKNER 7
The Rams rocked Faulkner early with four runs in the first behind a Sam Bowman three-run homer but Faulkner added two on an Edrien Martinez triple to score Eduarny Martinez and
Jeyson Polanco. Mobile replied in the top of the second with two before stranding a Faulkner runner at third in the home half. Mobile pulled the game seemingly out of reach started with a two-strike, two-out single from Clint Smith to start a five run rally to put Mobile up 11-2.
Polanco hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third, but Faulkner could not do anything else with the inning but cut into the lead by one. The run was responded right back again by the Rams with a solo home run of their own. The solo home run was all that the Rams could do against
Zayn Bates who then got out of the inning with a double play one batter later before retiring the five of the next six batters before a relay from Eduarny Martinez to
Christian Webb cut down a runner at home.
Polanco again hit a home run to cash in a
Marlon Oviedo triple and a
Kenny Di Clemente walk to make the game interesting, but Faulkner could not get another run across.
Bates covered a varsity career-high of 3.1 innings striking out three and allowing just one run.
Polanco finished the game 3-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
FAULKNER 13, MOBILE 3
After similar start to game two by Mobile with two runs in the first, Faulkner rallied with a seven-run third to swing the tide of the game between the in-state foes. A couple of pitching miscues in the first led to two runs for the Rams but Faulkner struggled to get anything going in the first two innings but capitalized on mistakes in the third.
Anthony Bassett hustled out a grounder and reached on a spoiled throw before Oviedo drew a walk. Di Clemente dropped down a sacrifice bunt but the throw to first was wild, allowing the Nicaraguan duo to score and tie the game and the Canadian to advance to third.
Jeyson Polanco tripled to bring in the right fielder before Trinidad brought in his right-side of the infield partner and take a two-run lead. Eduarny Martinez singled and Edrien Martinez drove in Trinidad one batter later to chase the starter.
Christian Webb fired a double to right field to score Eduarny and take a 6-2 lead. Oviedo came back up and dropped a bunt single to score Edrien Martinez for the seventh run of the inning.
Thomas Wilhite worked around a two-out double after a pair of strikeouts with a flyout to get his team back with the bats. Polanco drew a walk before a failed pickoff attempt at first allowed the Dominican to get to third where Edrien Martinez's sacrifice fly added another.
Mobile got one back in the fifth but Ovideo paid off
Jack Brinkley's double with a single to answer it right back and take a 9-3 lead. Faulkner ended the bottom of the sixth with an unbelievable double play as Bassett flipped it out of his glove to Polanco who fired to Trinidad who stretched to complete the inning with a highlight reel finish.
In the bottom of the seventh,
Kenny Di Clemente sent everyone home early with a run-rule walkoff grand slam with all three runners reaching on a free pass.
Wilhite (6-2) was excellent in the start with six strikeouts over four innings and allowing just two runs to get the win.
Samir Rojas went two innings and allowed just one run with a couple strikeouts.
Mat Mayer worked a scoreless seventh.
Eight different Eagles recorded hits in the game with Ovideo going 2-2 as the only one with multiple hits.
With Loyola (19-9 SSAC) defeating William Carey (21-7 SSAC) in game one of their series and the results in Faulkner's games, the Eagles still have an outside shot at a share of the conference title if Loyola wins both games Friday and Faulkner wins the series Friday afternoon. That result would end in a three-way tie for first with Loyola winning the first tiebreak to take the one-seed by winning the series last weekend and, in this scenario, sweeping William Carey and Faulkner ending with the two-seed after beating William Carey the weekend before.
