JACKSON, Tenn. – Faulkner delivered a complete performance Thursday morning, taking down Brewton-Parker 5-1 behind strong pitching and timely offense to continue play at the SSAC Baseball Championship.
The Eagles wasted no time getting on the board, striking in the second inning as Carter Schellsmidt came through with a two-RBI double to left, bringing home Jimmy Perez and Dariel Colón to give Faulkner an early 2-0 advantage.
Ramses Guerra settled in quickly on the mound, working efficiently through the early frames and keeping Brewton-Parker off balance. The right-hander allowed just one hit over the first three innings, allowing the Eagles to maintain control.
Faulkner added to its lead in the fourth, beginning with a CJ Robertson double into the gap. Orlando Arellano later came around to score before Edrien Martínez added to the cushion with an RBI groundout to plate Tevin Landrum, extending the lead to 4-0.
Guerra continued to cruise into the middle innings, limiting hard contact and working out of any trouble. Brewton-Parker broke through in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to cut into the deficit, but the Eagles quickly answered.
In the seventh, Jeyson Polanco delivered the final blow, launching a solo home run to right field to push the lead back to four at 5-1.
Guerra went seven strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six to earn the win. Avery Shelton and Bracken Rice handled the final two innings, combining to close out the contest and secure the victory.
Offensively, Schellsmidt led the way with two hits and two RBIs, while Jordan Carter also recorded a multi-hit performance as Faulkner finished with nine hits on the day.
The Eagles (2-0 Pool A) will face No. 1 seed ABAC tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. for the final day of pool play.
