GULF SHORES, Ala. - Faulkner (13-4) notched two more dominant wins on Saturday, Day Two of the Gulf Coast Invitational at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.
Faulkner 10, Bethel 0 (5 Inn.)
Faulkner rode the momentum from the dominant win over Williams Baptist into the Saturday afternoon contest with Bethel (6-5). Madelyn Becker caught a lineout and a groundout with the first two batters of the contest, and Reece Patterson struck out the side on three pitches for the three-up, three-down first inning. Chloe Davidson and Anna Catherine Segrest led off the bottom half with singles and moved up a bag on a passed ball. The former came home on a Sarah Williams single, and the latter came home on a Becker sac fly.
Patterson and the infield got off the field after two leadoff singles with a strikeout, fielder's choice and groundout. The offense then loaded the bases as Kelbi Johnson was hit by a pitch, Bailea Boone singled and Davidson walked. Segrest scored Johnson on a single to right, and Addyson Jarman singled to left to plate Boone. Patterson responded once more after a single and an error put two on, as she cleared the basepaths by picking off each runner, the first throw to Jarman at third base and the second to Segrest at second base.
The bats truly came to life in the bottom of the third, starting with Abby Terrell leading off with a single and coming around to score on a second error by the first baseman, the first one as she tried to get Johnson out. Abrianna Davis and Boone each hit singles, and the two of them and Johnson would steal second while on. Johnson scored on the Boone single, Davis came home on a Davidson single and Boone touched home plate on a Segrest sacrifice bunt to make the score 8-0, putting it in run-rule territory.
Williams then doubled to left center to score Davidson, and Becker walked to bring the batting order back around to Terrell, who loaded the bases with a single ahead of Johnson's single scoring Williams to cap the scoring. The defense then faced the minimum for two more frames to prop up the offensive effort and end this one in five.
The Lady Eagles scored 14 hits, yet only one extra-base hit. They put up seven on each Lady Wildcat pitcher, who each lasted two innings, with no one striking out. Boone went a perfect 3-3 at the dish and Davidson, Segrest, Williams and Terrell each went 2-3, while Davidson, Johnson and Boone each scored two runs. Meanwhile, Patterson threw an absolute gem for her third win of the season, going all five innings and allowing only four hits while striking out four and issuing no walks.
Faulkner 6, Freed-Hardeman 2
In the fourth all-time meeting in the Gulf Coast Invitational between the Church of Christ sister schools, Davidson drew a leadoff walk on Freed-Hardeman (4-7) and came home on a Jarman double to left center. Jarman then stole third and put her team up 2-0 with a sac bunt from Williams.
In the bottom of the second, the Lady Lions responded as Briley Wigginton and Lynnlee Brown led off with two singles to right field. Wigginton came home as Myleah Hardy reached on an error to make it 2-1. Then, as Brown stole third, Davis, starting in the circle for the second time in the tournament, threw to Becker to try and get the runner out before Becker threw back to Davis. Davis then tagged Hardy to pick her off first base for the first out of the inning, but Brown got home on the double steal to tie the game. Davis then induced a pair of lineouts to Segrest at short to end the threat.
The score remained tied for the next two innings, including the bottom of the fourth when Hardy flew out to Boone in left, and Davis struck out the side to work around singles to the outfield and strand Wigginton and Brown. They were the last hits Davis would allow, as she faced the minimum nine for the last three innings.
Abbie Davis and Boone then led off the fifth frame with singles and moved up 60 feet on a Segrest sac bunt. Jarman then singled them home to put her team back ahead by two. In the seventh inning, Boone led off with a single to third and stole second. Davidson then brought her home on a triple to left center. With Davidson 60 feet from home, Segrest put down another sac bunt, and Davidson touched home safely for a successful squeeze play. The next three at-bats all ended in outs to conclude the game, with FHU's last chance ending as Brown grounded out to Becker and Hardy and Annalee Qualls both lined out to Segrest.
Jarman led her team with a 2-4 outing, three RBI and a run scored. Boone went 2-3 with two runs scored. Davidson was the only other Lady Eagle who touched home twice. Altogether, Faulkner put up nine hits and six runs, all earned, to go with a pair of walks and three strikeouts on FHU pitcher Katy Gartrell. Wigginton and Brown were the only Freed-Hardeman batters to reach base without aid from an error, as each went 2-3 with a run scored. However, only one Lady Lion struck out. Abrianna Davis improved her freshman pitching record to 5-0 by scattering just four hits and one earned run while, like Patterson, issuing no walks.
With Sunday's game against Georgetown called off due to weather, the Lady Eagles finish the Gulf Coast Invitational 3-1 and the week 5-1. They return home to open SSAC play as they welcome Thomas to Wynn Field on Tuesday, March 10, at 1 and 3 pm.
