MOBILE, Ala. - Faulkner won the series at Mobile on the back of a two-hit complete game gem from
Samir Rojas in his first start in almost a month in a 2-1 win before narrowly missing the sweep in a 12-10 slugfest at Mike Jacobs Field.
The series win marks a bounceback for the Eagles who had lost their last three SSAC series as Faulkner aims to get right ahead of the SSAC Baseball Championship starting on April 29 in pursuit of the automatic bid to nationals going to each pool winner.
Mobile had entered on a hot streak having won its last three conference series with victories over ABAC, William Carey and Brewton-Parker.
FAULKNER 2, MOBILE 1
The series clincher was a classic pitcher's duel with Rojas returning to his dominant form. After a rough appearance in a rehab midweek outing, any doubt cast from Tuesday evaporated with a six punchout, two hit, one run complete game from the Venezuelan right-hander.
A one out double started Mobile in the first before a two-out single drove in the first run. Rojas got out of the inning on the next batter. After a quick second by both teams, Faulkner got a one out single from
Jimmy Perez before a two-out double from
CJ Robertson plated the tying run. Edrien Martínez was intentionally walked but the plan didn't fully work for Mobile as
Jeyson Polanco singled up the middle to take the lead and set what would be the final score.
In the bottom of the third, Rojas worked a one-two-three inning before another in the fourth with a double play canceling a hit by pitch. After the first, Rojas allowed just two base runners and nobody made it to second with the ace retiring 14 of the final 15 batters faced including the last 10 batters in a row to hold onto the one-run lead.
MOBILE 12, FAULKNER 10
Faulkner jumped to a 10-0 lead, but saw it evaporate on Mobile's senior day with a rough sixth inning.
Robertson hit a one-out double in the first before Martínez hit a fielder's choice with an error scoring Robertson. Polanco singled before
Anthony Bassett Torres singled Martínez in with
Orlando Arellano following with a single to score Polanco to make it 3-0.
Robertson singled home Perez in the second with Martínez drawing a walk to load the bases. Polanco singled to make it 5-0. Bassett drove home the sixth run with a fielder's choice.
Dariel Colón led off the third with a homer before Martínez scored
Jordan Carter with a double.
Carter Schellsmidt drew a bases loaded walk to make it 9-0. Bassett drove in Martínez for his third RBI of the day to make it 10-0.
Unfortunately, the game turned around after a double play to get Mobile out of the third inning. The Rams scored one in the third, fourth and fifth innings before scoring seven in the sixth going through three different Eagle pitchers before the Eagles finally stopped the bleeding at a 10-10 tie. In the seventh, The Eagles loaded the bases but could not bring in a run.
Mobile in the eighth scored two unearned runs after an error extended the inning and scored the eventual game winning run before the Rams got one more to make it 12-10.
The series win along with the other results in the league helped shape out the SSAC standings for the Eagles who sit two games behind fifth place Mobile and certainly no lower than seventh with a five game lead over eight.
Robertson ended the game 4-4 with three runs scored.
Faulkner welcomes Loyola to Harrison Field for the final weekend of the regular season starting on Thursday with a doubleheader set for a 1 p.m. start and will close with a noon game Friday with senior day to follow.
