MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner tamed the best batting average in the nation, allowing just four hits to a Tiger team that entered hitting over .409 as a squad, in a 15-5 run-rule victory over Stillman Tuesday at Harrison Field.
Trevor Hamill worked two clean innings to start the contest from the hill with the offense responding with six runs. Dariel Colón and
Jeyson Polanco continued to be menaces in the top two spots in the lineup with singles and aggressive running to put them on second and third where a wild pitch scored Colón.
Jordan Carter's sacrifice fly scored Polanco to take a 2-0 lead.
Anthony Bassett Torres got a bases-loaded, two-out single up the middle to score two more and take a 4-0 lead.
Jimmy Perez drew a walk to start the second inning with Colón's single getting the first baseman to third where he scored on a wild pitch. Carter singled home Colón to take a six run lead.
Things started to unravel some in the third inning as Gavin Rehorn's single cashed in a leadoff walk for Stillman. After another walk loaded the bases,
Avery Shelton entered the game from the bullpen but Javian Rives got a single to score two more and cut the lead to just three. After a bases loaded walk and hit by pitch, the Stillman Tigers saw another bases loaded scenario to potentially take the lead with one more hit, but Shelton got a massive strikeout to put the bats back in Faulkner hands.
CJ Robertson drew a one-out walk and stole second and third but took a casual stroll home as
Jimmy Perez launched a homer over the centerfield wall for his first hit as an Eagle. After a couple of errors, Colón scored again to make it 9-5.
That's when
Austin Lippolis (1-0) took over on the hill and dominated the game. The left-handed pitcher proceeded to strike out seven batters over the next three innings with three in the fourth inning and two in the fifth and sixth. Through two appearances, Lippolis has nine strikeouts in four innings and has allowed just three base runners with no runs with a win and a save.
Carter Schellsmidt blasted a solo home run in the sixth to make it a 10-5 lead.
Grant Blalock and
Marshall Robinson combined to get out of trouble in the seventh with Robinson dealing two punchouts in the eighth to allow Faulkner to close it in the eighth. The Eagles turned four hits and two walks into five runs capped off by
Shaun Bridges firing a triple off the top of the wall to clear the bases and employ the run rule for his first collegiate hit.
Colón led the team with three hits with Carter, Martinez and Schellsmidt each getting two.
The pitching staff struck out 12 Tigers in the win.
The Eagles improved to 3-1 and welcome Keiser and Indiana Wesleyan for a weekend full of baseball starting Friday at 3 p.m. against the Seahawks with a matchup with the Wildcats following at 6.
