TUSKEGEE, Ala. – Faulkner rallied midway through game two Friday to salvage a doubleheader split in its season-opening softball matchup with Tuskegee.
TUSKEGEE 3, FAULKNER 2
An error and one ill-fated pitch made the difference in the Lady Eagles' first game as they fell to the NCAA Division II Golden Tigers 3-2. Faulkner's deficit materialized in the second inning when a single to right preceded a fielding error and brought Kaitlyn Fletcher to the plate. The Tuskegee sophomore deposited a pitch off the top of the left field fence and staked the Tigers to a 3-0 lead.
After struggling to break through for five innings, Faulkner finally turned its fortunes in the sixth.
Anna Catherine Segrest singled to short before
Addyson Jarman singled to third.
Kelbi Johnson took a hit-by-pitch to load the bases before
Madelyn Becker's grounder to third pushed Segrest across to cut it to 3-1.
Sarah Williams followed with another grounder to third to narrow it to 3-2. The Lady Eagles got the tying run to scoring position in the sixth but could not get her across. After a quiet start to the seventh, an error put the tying run aboard once more but the result proved the same as Faulkner's final chance landed in the glove of the left fielder.
Addison Moseley (0-1) opened her collegiate career with a complete game in the circle. She scattered six hits and issued one walk while allowing one earned run and striking out three batters on just 79 pitches.
FAULKNER 8, TUSKEGEE 5
The second inning proved problematic for Faulkner pitching again in game two as the Golden Tigers loaded the bases with nobody out. Jurney Madison ripped a double to left center to drive in a pair of runs before scoring on a Shawna McNair grounder to put the home team up 3-0.
The Lady Eagles got on the board in the third when Becker singled to left to drive in Segrest, cutting it to 3-1. Tuskegee got that run right back in the fourth when Payton Dunham doubled to center to get McNair across for the 4-1 advantage.
The Lady Eagles finally got something going to flip the game in the fifth.
Chloe Davidson singled to right and moved up to second on a passed ball. She advanced to third on a Jarman infield single. After Jarman stole second with two outs, Becker drew a walk to load the bases. Williams cleaned things up with a three-run double to deep center field to tie the game. Johnson then stroked a single past second to give Faulkner its first lead of the season.
The Lady Eagles added to the advantage in the sixth with a three-run effort.
Taylor Adams drew a leadoff walk and gave way to
Campbell Hecklinski on the basepaths.
Bailea Boone reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners. Boone swiped second before Hecklinski scored on a passed ball. Boone then scored on a Davidson RBI grounder. Davidson later stole third and scored on a passed ball for the 8-4 lead.
The Golden Tigers got one more run in the home half of the seventh before
Abrianna Davis steeled in the circle to induce a pair of pop-ups to end the game. Davis (1-0) finished with three strikeouts and two walks while allowing five earned and going the distance in her collegiate debut.
Faulkner (1-1) returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 18 when it travels to Talladega for a doubleheader.
