MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Edrien Martínez was perfect from the plate, going 5-5 with a double and a home run while drawing two walks and scoring four times as The Eagles rebounded with a 9-6 win over Talladega in the nightcap of a midweek seven-inning doubleheader to split the day at Harrison Field.

Talladega 15, Faulkner 3

The Eagles struggled in the first game after taking an early lead but hung in until a nine run sixth from Talladega took it out of reach. 

Marlon Oviedo's sacrifice bunt scored Tevin Landrum in the second inning, but Talladega responded with a three-run homer from Victor Rivera to put the Tornadoes up. An RBI double from Diego Duque made it 4-1. 

Martínez hit his 12th home run of the season to leadoff the the third inning before Carter Schellsmidt drove in Jordan Carter to make it 4-3. After a three-up, three-down inning in the fourth by Malachi Bailey, Faulkner started a two out rally when CJ Robertson was hit by a pitch. Martinez singled before Jordan Carter walked to load the bases. However, Jeyson Polanco struck out with bases loaded to end the threat. 

In the fifth, Tornado catcher Armando Jackson lifted a homer to make it 5-3. In the sixth, Faulkner gave up nine runs on just four hits with six free passes issued to blow the game open.

Trevor Hamil was really good over the first two innings, allowing just two hits while not allowing a run. Bailey worked 1.2 innings without allowing a run. 

Faulkner 9, Talladega 6

Faulkner scored early and rode the lead to a bounceback win, snapping a four game losing streak. 

In the first, Collin Netto (2-2) struck out the first batter before Alex Gonzalez threw out a would-be base stealer with Anthony Bassett Torres and closed the inning with another strikeout. Polanco drew a walk to start the bottom half with a single from Martínez and another walk from Carter to load the bases. Polanco came in to score on a wild pitch before Robertson was hit by another pitch to load the bases again. Bassett hit a sacrifice fly and Dariel Colón drove in Carter on a groundout. Gonzalez hit a single to score Robertson from second to make it 4-0. 

Netto got out of trouble with a double play to left field to put a second zero on the board. The Eagles started a two out rally in the second with a Martinez double. Carter and Robertson drew walks to load the bases before Bassett and Colón walked in the fifth and sixth runs. 

Talladega got three runs back off a Jackson homer in the top of the third. In the bottom half, Faulkner got two back on a Robertson single to score Logan Starnes–who picked up his first start as an Eagle–and Martinez.

In the fourth, three walks and a hit by pitch scored a run. Marshall Robinson entered to clean up and a fielder's choice and a throwing error scored two but Robinson found a strikeout to get out with a two run lead. 

The score would stay there through the bottom of the sixth when Jimmy Perez scored Colón to make it 9-6. Collin Rittenberry picked up the save with three strikeouts around a single to close out his fifth game. 

Talladega entered the second contest winning 22 of their last 24 ball games before the Eagles knocked them off. 

The Eagles sit at 22-17 and will welcome Blue Mountain for a weekend series starting Friday at 6 p.m. Read Full Article