THOMASVILLE, Ga. - Just as it did in both ends of the home series, Faulkner (22-11, 8-6 SSAC) rebounded from a slow start to get the upper hand offensively on Thomas (9-24, 3-13 SSAC) at Armory Field. The visitors racked up 20 hits in a come-from-behind Game One with 12 runs in the last three innings before a run-rule win in Game Two to clinch a season sweep of the Night Hawks.
FAULKNER 14, THOMAS 6
The Lady Eagle bats were red hot and tallied a whopping 20 hits and 41 at-bats with all 14 runs being earned, chasing starter Baileigh Herrera after 5.1 innings of work, allowing 13 hits and eight runs.
Sarah Williams opened the scoring in the first frame with a two-RBI double. Cloey O'Doniel tied it up in the bottom half with a two-run homer before Herrera doubled for a 3-2 Thomas lead. O'Doniel would add two more in the second with a double to cash in on a leadoff double and a fielding error to end Addison Moseley's day with six hits and four earned runs after 1.2 innings. Reece Patterson entered in relief to get out of the inning and would only allow an RBI single in the third before shutting out the Night Hawks the rest of the way, scattering five hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Fresh off her SSAC Player of the Week honor, Addyson Jarman cut the deficit in half with a leadoff home run to open the fifth inning. Then came the sixth, and the bats truly came to life. Abrianna Davis led off with a double to center and Bailea Boone followed with a bunt single. Chloe Davidson brought Davis in with an RBI single to get within two. Jarman tied it up with a double to left center to score Boone and Davidson before Williams followed with a single to center to score Anna Catherine Segrest to give Faulkner the lead for the rest of the series and bring about defensive lineup gymnastics as Thomas subbed Herrera out. Madelyn Becker closed the inning with an RBI single off Taylor Young.
Having gone through the lineup in the inning, Davis led off the seventh as well, this time with a triple, and came home on a Boone single. Boone scored the tenth run for Faulkner on a wild pitch. Davidson and Segrest singled on bunts and stole bases before Davidson came home on a Jarman sac fly, and Segrest followed on a Williams fielder's choice. Becker walked and Kelbi Johnson singled to load the bases before Davis wrapped up the scoring with an RBI double to bring in Williams and Becker.
Segrest led the team with a 4-5 day, touching home three times. Jarman was 3-4 with four RBI. Williams and Davis went 3-5 with four and two RBI, respectively. Davidson and Boone each were 2-4 with an RBI and a walk.
FAULKNER 9, THOMAS 1 (5 Inn.)
After the bats did all the damage in the opener, Faulkner tallied just nine hits in the second game while taking advantage of four Thomas errors.
Jarman picked up right where she left off with an RBI triple to right center after Davidson led off with a base hit. Jarman then made it 2-0 as she came safely home on a throwing error off the sacrifice squeeze by Williams. Campbell Hecklinski led off the second with a single and stolen base, scoring as Boone reached on an error. Davidson reached on a dropped fly ball and Segrest singled and got into scoring position on another defensive miscue. Jarman brought them in with a double to left, and Williams bunt singled to bring home her center fielder and make the score 6-0 after two innings.
The Lady Eagle fielders came up big in this one in stranding four runners and allowing just one run on an O'Doniel homer in the fourth. Big defensive plays included a double play by Kelbi Johnson at first, a putout by Segrest on a fielder's choice and a throw from Boone in left to Williams at second off a single for the third out in the bottom of the third.
In the fourth, Williams doubled to left to score Davidson and Jarman, put the game in run-rule territory and ultimately chase the Thomas starter in both games. Abby Terrell would cap the scoring for a Faulkner with a grounder to score Avery Goff, who ran for Williams.
The first two batters grounded out to Davis in the circle in the bottom of the fifth to get Faulkner one out away from the sweep before a walk, a single and a wild pitch made the equation tougher. However, Johnson then caught the lineout from O'Doniel to finish off the complete-game effort from her freshman pitcher, who finished with one run scoring off six hits to go with a walk and a strikeout. Davidson and Jarman each went 2-3 with three runs scored while Williams was a perfect 2-2, as she and Jarman each batted in three of Faulkner's runs.
The Lady Eagles return to the Peach State this weekend for two more conference series, starting with a Friday doubleheader at Abraham Baldwin at 1 and 3 pm.
