MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner got its final pre-conference tune-up Saturday as it took a pair of losses to receiving votes Indiana Southeast to split the series at two wins apiece.
INDIANA SOUTHEAST 10, FAULKNER 8
Mistakes plagued Faulkner in the first game of the day as four errors and eight walks issued contributed to seven unearned runs in a 10-7 loss. The Grenadiers started the scoring with a Bryson Arnette double in the first to plate Kevin Moore. Matt Santana drove in Trevor Goodwin with a grounder later in the inning to make it 2-0 IUSE.
Jordan Carter blasted a three-run shot to left in the home half of the first to give the Eagles the 3-2 advantage. That margin did not last long as Coulter Hamilton singled in Gabe Yonto to tie it in the second. Kasen Parks scored on an error to give the Grenadiers the lead before Goodwin drove in Moore to put the Grenadiers up 5-3.
A balk in the third allowed C.J. Robertson to score for the Eagles. Carter then put his team back on top with a two-run double to left center to get
Jeyson Polanco and
Orlando Arellano in. The Grenadiers took the lead right back in the fourth on a Moore sacrifice fly to center and a two-run single to left by Santana.
Robertson singled up the middle in the bottom of the fourth to drive in
D'Anthony Marks and cut it to 8-7. The score remained there until the top of the seventh when IUSE got a Nick Johnson single to plate one and a throwing error to get one more across.
Carter did hit part again in the home half of the seventh, drawing a leadoff walk to give the Eagles a chance.
Alex Gonzalez then coaxed a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. However, a double play ball all but killed the rally.
Carter Schellsmidt salvaged one run with a single to right center to get Carter in and cut it to 10-8. But the Eagles could get no closer.
INDIANA SOUTHEAST 6, FAULKNER 4
Game two of the day saw the Faulkner lineup scuffle to a 6-4 loss as all of the Eagles' runs came in the fourth inning. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch of Joel Johnson in the first inning plated Moore. Yonto then coaxed a bases-loaded walk to get Goodwin home for the 2-0 lead. A wild pitch got Kannon Stull home in the fourth to move it to 3-0. A sacrifice fly to right by Coulter Hamilton got Parks home to put the Grenadiers up 4-0.
Faulkner got in on the scoring in the bottom of the fourth. Carter doubled to left center to get Polanco home before Schellsmidt took a bases-loaded walk to plate Edrien Martinez.
Anthony Bassett Torres drew another bases-loaded walk to get Carter in to narrow it to 4-3.
Marlon Oviedo later drove in Gonzalez with an RBI grounder to tie the game.
The Grenadiers regained the lead in the fifth when Joel Johnson scored on a wild pitch. Arnette added insurance with a solo homer in the ninth to move it to 6-4.
The Eagles managed only three hits in the game, stalling the offense that also drew nine walks. Jake Gothrup did the heavy lifting for the IUSE pitching staff. He struck out nine batters over five innings of scoreless, hitless work.
Faulkner (9-4) returns to action Friday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Brewton-Parker for its SSAC opener.
