Contributed
(March 14, 2010)

Faulkner’s Mike Zenko scattered six hits and tossed a complete game as the Eagles beat Auburn Montgomery 5-1 in the opening game of a Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The Senators gained a split in the nightcap, with David Barnett’s RBI double in the sixth inning lifting AUM to a 4-3 victory.

The Eagles (17-7, 6-3 SSAC) took won two of the three games in the weekend series with the Senators (10-14, 3-6 SSAC).

Topher Blanchette’s RBI double highlighted a two-run for the Eagles in Game 1, and that’s all the support Zenko would need. He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter, allowing only Bruce Alter’s solo home run in the second.

Blanchette drove in two more runs and Kevin Villerreal added a run-scoring single in the Faulkner sixth to put the game away for the Eagles. Michael Clayton had two hits for Faulkner in the victory. Zenko improved to 4-1 with the win, while AUM starter Kyle Mitchell fell to 1-1 with the loss.

Clayton’s two-run homer in the first inning of Game 2 helped stake Faulkner to a 3-0 lead, but the Eagles couldn’t hold on. After the rocky first inning, Senator starter Sam Judah and relievers Mike Smith and Jared Fonseca allowed only one more Eagle hit. Smith earned the victory and Fonseca the save for the Senators.

Will Sellers and Tanner Williams each had RBIs in the AUM fourth to cut the Faulkner lead to 3-2. In the decisive sixth, Alter tied the game with an RBI single setting the stage for Barnett’s game-winning hit.

Faulkner travels to Jackon, Tenn., Wednedsay afternoon to take on Union at 2:30.