Contributed
(May 5, 2012)

SELMA – The Montgomery Catholic track and field team went into the Class 3A state championships at Memorial Stadium with high expectations as a pair of indoor track and field champions would be in action.

The day did not disappoint as both of the indoor champions, Skip Martin and the 4×800-meter relay team, claimed an outdoor title.  Those two wins, paired with a trio of top five finishes from senior Wellington Westendorf placed the Knights second in the team standings heading into Saturday.

Martin claimed the first state title for the Knights as he won the 1600-meters in a time of 4:32.52, a full second ahead of Trinity’s Wesley Curles.  Martin’s teammates, Jarrett Mason (4:47.35) and Matt Pouncey (4:57.46), finished fifth and 10th respectively in the race.

Meanwhile, the 4×800 relay team of Pouncey, Mason, Martin and Connor Wright ran a school record time of 8:28.64; finishing over 10 seconds ahead of the second place team from Trinity.  The win enabled the Knights to pick up 10 points on the day, giving them 24 points from the two distance events.

Westendorf racked up points with a trio of top five finishes on the afternoon – all in throwing events.  The senior scored in the discus, javelin and shot put, totaling 15 points himself on the day.  Westendorf finished third in the shot put, fifth in the javelin and fourth in the discus on the afternoon.

The Knights have 44 total team points, standing 12 points behind Greensboro overall and four points ahead of third place Hanceville.

Montgomery Catholic will have a chance to pick up points on Saturday as they will have senior Cameron Powell running in the 100-meters and 200-meters finals.  The senior finished second in the preliminaries behind Trinity’s Walker VanHooser.  He also finished fourth in the 200-meter preliminaries with a time of 23.35 seconds.

Mason and Pouncey will also be in action on Saturday, competing in the 3200-meter finals.  Meanwhile, Timothy McOmber will see his first action of the meet on Saturday in the 300-meter hurdles; while Martin and Wright will run in the 800-meter finals.

On the girl’s side Friday, Montgomery Catholic sits ninth overall with 15 total points.  The Knights got points from Katherine Terino in the 1600-meters, as she finished fourth with a time of 5:35.80.  Meanwhile, Jennifer Westendorf also scored for the Knights in the high jump and long jump.  The eighth-grader finished fifth in the long jump with a distance of 15-05.00, and finished fourth overall with a height of 4-10.00.

The 4×800-meter relay team for the girls also scored a point on Friday; as the team of Terino, Marissa Craig, Sarah Talbot and Westendorf finished eighth overall with a time of 11:17.93.

The teams return to action at 8 am on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Selma.

Contributed
(May 4, 2012)

KODAK, Tenn.- Montgomery (12-16) scored six runs in the third and Shane Dyer hurled six shutout innings in a 7-4 win over the Tennessee Smokies (12-16) Thursday night at Smokies Park.

The Biscuits started the third-inning explosion when Brad Coon knocked his second home run of the year to drive in three runs. Kyeong Kang followed with a two-run double to make it 5-0 Montgomery. Michael Sheridan delievered the final blow of the inning with an RBI-triple to give the Biscuits a six-run lead.

With a six-run lead, Dyer went right at the Smokies hitters tossing 54 strikes out of 87 pitchers. The right-hander scattered six hits while striking out one and walking one to hold the Smokies scoreless through six innings and earn his third win of the season. It was the first time a Biscuits pitcher had tossed six shutout innings this year.

The Smokies made it interesting in the seventh inning against Scott Shuman. After an RBI-single from Jae-Hoon Ha to get Tennessee on the board, Justin Bour delivered with a 3-run home run to push the score to 7-4 Biscuits.

Kang finished the night 3 for 4, banging his third home run of the series to put him into a tie for most in the Southern League with seven total.

Frank De Los Santos pitched 1.2 scoreless innings while Kirby Yates entered with one out in the ninth to earn his second save of the year. Trey McNutt (0-2) was tagged with the loss for the Smokies. McNutt gave up five runs over only 2.2 innings pitched.

Game four of the series will be Friday night at 6:15. The Biscuits will send out Kyle Lobstein (1-2, 6.45) while Dallas Beeler (0-1, 3.29) will start for the Smokies.

Contributed
(May 3, 2012)

The Alabama State baseball team nearly erased a six-run ninth-inning deficit, scoring four times but came up short in an 8-6 loss to Jacksonville State in the second of back-to-back games between the two teams.

Wednesday’s game was the final home game at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex, as Alabama State honored its four seniors Ron Frost, Ryan Epperson, Jordan Mims, and Darrion Pedro, as well as recognized the 2012 SWAC Champion Men’s Golf team in the final home athletic event of the 2011-12 season.

Trailing 8-2 heading in the bottom of the ninth, the Hornets rallied with two outs. With the bases loaded, Leo Rojas’ single to left field scored a pair of runs to cut the margin to 8-4. Pedro then reached on an infield single, scoring Epperson from second base to add the third run of the inning. Back-to-back errors by Jacksonville State allowed Rojas to score for the final margin. However, ASU could not get the game-tying hit with the bases loaded to end the game.

“I’m very proud of how we battled back,” head coach Mervyl Melendez said. “I want this team to be known for never being out of a game. Once again, we gave ourselves an opportunity to tie the game at the end. The effort was there, but unfortunately at the very end we couldn’t get it done. However, the effort was there, the intensity was there, the at-bats were much better, and we concentrated well at the end. I thought we played well. We got 11 hits, our starting pitching did a good job, Emmanuel Marrero did well on the mound in the ninth to hold them. We just need to rebound. We have an important weekend ahead (at defending SWAC Champion Alcorn State), and we have to concentrate on that now.”

Frost tied a career high with 11 strikeouts for the second straight outing. Epperson tied a career-high with four hits on a 4-for-4 night, while Pedro and Rojas each had two hits and combined to drive in five runs.

For the second straight night, the Hornets (19-30) took the early lead against Jacksonville State. In the third inning, Epperson doubled with one out and scored on Pedro’s single for a 1-0 lead. Alabama State extended to 2-0 lead in the fifth inning on Rojas’ RBI single to left field, scoring Epperson.

Jacksonville State (20-23) scored two runs in the sixth, took the lead with one in the seventh, and broke the game open with a five-run eighth inning.

“Our starting pitching was amazing, with 11 strikeouts in six innings by Ron,” Melendez said. “He gave up two runs, but pitched well enough to give us a chance to win. Unfortunately, our relief pitching wasn’t good enough tonight.”

The Hornets play at Alcorn State in the final SWAC series of the season to determine the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Division. The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon and Sunday at 1 p.m.

The 2012 Dirtbags include (back row, from left): Will Aaron, Payne Griffin, Logan Hunt, Cole McWhorter, Jackson Blair, Bradley Woodham; (front row, from left): Trace Deloney, Zak Haynes, Easton Wilcoxson, Copeland Hilyer, Brock Woodham, Briar Belich. (Photo contributed)

Contributed
(May 2, 2012)

The Dirtbags 10-Under baseball team traveled to Auburn to participate in the USSSA Auburn April Eliminator, April 20-22.  Eleven teams from Georgia and Alabama played in the event and the Dirtbags walked away as the runner-up. 

The Dirtbags opened up pool play Friday night by shutting out Young Guns Baseball (Columbus, Ga.), 7-0.  Payne Griffin pitched four innings of two hit ball to get the win.  He struck out five batters. 

On Saturday, the Dirtbags opened up with a tie against Southeast Thundersticks (Montgomery), 3-3.  The Dirtbags led 3-2 going into the final inning.  Copeland Hilyer threw out a runner at second base in the bottom of the sixth to end the game.  Zak Haynes pitched three innings and only allowed one hit.   The Dirtbags dropped the second game of the day to Line Drive Baseball (Enterprise), 6-3.  In the last game of pool play, the Dirtbags tied Rampage 8-8 (Phenix City).  The Dirtbags led 8-5 heading in to the final inning but could not hold on to the win.   Will Aaron pitched three innings allowing only three hits. 

The Dirtbags were the No. 3 seed going into Sunday’s bracket play.  They opened the quarterfinals by defeating Young Guns, 5-3.  Griffin pitched four innings allowing only five hits.  Haynes pitched one inning in relief in earning the save.  In the semifinals,  the Dirtbags beat Sudden Impact (Prattville) 5-3.  Haynes pitched four innings and only allowed five hits.  Brock Woodham came in to pitch the last two innings to pick up the save.  Woodham did not allow any hits. 

In the finals, the Dirtbags came up short as Home Plate Baseball (Peachtree City, Ga.) won the championship 8-0.  Home Plate improved their record on the year to 19-3.

The Dirtbags were led at the plate by Haynes and Logan Hunt, who each collected seven hits.  Haynes’ hits included a double and triple.  Cole McWhorter added six hits, Hilyer and Jackson Blair contributed with five hits each followed by Aaron and Trace Deloney with four hits apiece. 

Of the five tournaments the Dirtbags have entered this Spring, they have won one and placed second in three. 

Contributed
(May 2, 2012)

Highlighted by first-team All-Southern States Athletic Conference honors for seniors Cody Hall and Michael Dugan, the Auburn University at Montgomery baseball team had five players selected to the league’s all-conference squad, the conference announced following the SSAC Tournament.

Joining Hall and Dugan on the all-conference team was seniors Hunter Cross and Logan Remson, as well as junior Shane Turner, who all garnered second-team honors. Dugan was also named to the league’s Gold Glove team, while Remson was selected the Warhawks’ representative on the Musco Lighting Champions of Character team.

A native of Opp, Ala., Hall enjoyed a stellar senior campaign, posting an 8-2 overall record with a 1.30 earned run average. He tossed 97 innings and struck out 111, while limiting opponents to hit just .183 on the season. In conference play he was even more efficient, recording a 7-1 record with a 1.22 ERA in 10 starts. He also posted four complete games and two shutouts.

A three-time all-conference and Gold Glove Team selection, Dugan led the Warhawks in hitting on the season with a .358 batting average. The Montgomery native added three home runs, including a game-winning homer against then-No. 5 Embry Riddle on Opening Day. He added eight doubles and 11 sacrifice hits, while committing just one error in 412 chances behind the plate.

Cross posted a .299 batting average, with eight home runs and a team-best 50 runs batted in on the season. The Grove Hill, Ala., native tied for the team-lead with 14 doubles, added a triple and 29 runs scored. His .513 slugging percentage ranked second on the team and he was hit by a team-high 11 pitches.

Remson recorded a team-leading 69 hits on the season, while ranking second in batting average at a mark of .343. The Albertville, Ala., native drove in 27 runs and scored 33 more, despite having just five extra-base hits (four doubles and a triple). Remson also added seven stolen bases and posted a .987 fielding percentage at first base.

In his first season with the Warhawks, Turner posted a .320 batting average, with six home runs and 32 runs batted in. He matched a team-high with 14 doubles, while his home run and RBI totals ranked third on the team. The Red Level, Ala., native, also scored 34 runs and stole five bases, while slugging .497.

In addition to its on-field awards, the SSAC also announced its All-Academic team, on which nine Warhawks were honored; Cross, Dugan, Remson, fellow seniors Tyler Dent, Jorden Johnson, Will Ruffin, juniors Sam Duffield, Branden Kelley and redshirt freshman Bryan Young.

To qualify for the All-Academic team, student-athletes must have completed two terms of attendance and earned at least 24 semester hours of college level work, have attained a grade point average of 3.25 or higher and be participating in their sport during the semester in which the nomination is made.

Lee’s Blake Barber was selected the SSAC Player of the Year, while Corey Black of Faulkner was voted the league’s Pitcher of the Year. Mobile’s Braxton Hamil was named Freshmen of the Year, while Faulkner’s Craig Massey was selected Newcomer of the Year. After helping the Eagles to a 48-11 record and a No. 3 national ranking, Patrick McCarthy was voted Coach of the Year.

AUM will now wait to see if it is selected for an at-large berth for the 56th Annual Baseball National Championship, which will begin on May 11, at campus sites. The NAIA will announce the field for the tournament on Sunday, May 6.

Softball team garners all-conference spots

The Auburn University at Montgomery softball team was well represented on the Southern States Athletic Conference postseason awards list, highlighted by Division Player of the Year honors for Brandi Richards for the second consecutive season.

Richards, fellow senior Shea Driggers and sophomore Jyssica Pepper were each named to the SSAC All-Conference team, while sophomore Laci Driggers and freshman Cassie Daniels earned All-Division team honors. Daniels was also selected to the league’s All-Freshman team, while senior Danielle Kirkpatrick was chosen the Warhawks’ member of the Musco Lighting Champions of Character team.

During her final season, Richard posted a .316 batting average, with three home runs and 26 runs batted in. She tallied six doubles and four triples, while stealing a career-best eight bases. She recorded 11 multiple-hit games and a team-leading nine multiple-RBI games. In the circle, she posted a 13-9 record with a 1.26 earned run average. The Covington, Ga., struck out 209 hitters in 145 innings, while limiting opponents to only a .155 batting average.

Driggers (Shea) enjoyed her best season at AUM, as she led the Warhawks in batting average (.326) and runs batted in (29), while finishing second in home runs with four. The Leeds, Ala., native added six doubles and tallied multiple hits in 10 games.

In her second season with the Warhawks, Pepper scored a school-record 41 runs, eclipsing the previous record of 37 she set last season. The Madison, Ala., native hit .324 with a team-best five home runs, while adding 20 runs batted in. Pepper finished with a team-high nine doubles and shared the lead in triples with four. She also stole a team-best 14 bases and walked a team-leading 23 times.

A newcomers to the program that worked her way into the starting line-up early in the season, Driggers (Laci) responded a .299 batting average, with a home runs and 21 runs batted in. The younger sister of Shea Driggers, she finished with eight doubles, a triple and 10 stolen bases. She also scored 28 runs, a mark which ranked second on the team.

Following a standout prep career, Daniels made the most of her opportunity at the college level, tossing 136 1/3 innings as a true freshman. The Valley Grande, Ala., native posted a 12-7 record and a 1.75 ERA, while striking out 147 on the season. She tossed 14 complete games, including three shutouts, in her 21 starts.

Kirkpatrick appeared in 53 games on the season, posting a .250 batting average and 14 runs batted in. The McDonough, Ga., native added seven doubles and two triples, while scoring 12 runs. Perhaps her greatest contribution came behind the plate, where the Warhawks’ pitching staff posting a 1.49 earned run average on the year.
In addition to its on-field awards, the SSAC also announced its All-Academic team, on which three Warhawks were honored, Kirkpatrick, senior Carol Ann McIntyre and junior Rachel Stuart.

To qualify for the All-Academic team, student-athletes must have completed two terms of attendance and earned at least 24 semester hours of college level work, have attained a grade point average of 3.25 or higher and be participating in their sport during the semester in which the nomination is made.

Shorter’s Jackie Castaneda was selected the SSAC Player of the Year, while Alyssa Boutwell of William Carey was voted the league’s Pitcher of the Year. Brenau’s Anna Maness was chosen the East Division Pitcher of the Year. Hannah Cook-Kelley of William Carey and Maddie Bray of Shorter were named Freshmen of the Year, while Lee’s Jennifer Ringle was selected Newcomer of the Year. After helping Shorter to a 46-11 record and a No. 12 national ranking, Al Thomas was voted Coach of the Year.

By advancing to the championship game of the SSAC Softball Tournament, the Warhawks were awarded an automatic berth in the 32nd Annual NAIA Softball National Championship, held May 17-23 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Contributed
(May 2, 2012)

KODAK, Tenn.- The Montgomery Biscuits (11-15) used a season-high 14 hits including a two-run home run from Kyeong Kang in the top of the eighth inning to earn a 6-5 comeback win over the Tennessee Smokies (11-15) Tuesday night at Smokies Park.

The Biscuits also set a new franchise record for steals in a game with seven. Henry Wrigley stole his third base of the night in the ninth inning to set the record.

The Biscuits entered the eighth inning trailing 4-3. Michael Sheridan led off the frame with an infield single. Kang then came to the plate against Smokies reliever Brian Schlitter. The Biscuits’ DH worked the count full, fouled off four pitches, then in the 10th pitch of the at-bat, sent a drive over the right field fence to give Montgomery a 5-4 lead. The Biscuits added an insurance run with an RBI-single from Tyler Bortnick to drive in Brad Coon.

The Smokies got started quickly with a 3-run first inning. Logan Watkins had a two-run home run to highlight the frame. The Biscuits added one run in the second and two runs in the seventh before heading into the eighth inning trailing by one.

Marquis Fleming (1-0), in his first appearance in 2012 as a Biscuit, earned the victory. Adam Liberatore (1) pitched 1.2 innings to grab his first save of the year.

Brad Coon finished the game 2-for-3 with a triple, 2 runs scored and two stolen bases. Wrigley went 2-for-2 with two walks.

The Biscuits will have Jake Thompson (0-1, 4.26) on the mound Wednesday morning while the Smokies will send Nick Struck (2-2, 2.39) to the hill. First pitch is set for 10:30 a.m.

Figueroa promoted

Infielder Cole Figueroa has been promoted to Triple-A Durham and will make his debut for the Bulls on Wednesday.

Figueroa was moved after Tampa third baseman Evan Longoria went down with an injury that will sideline him 6-8 weeks.  Figueroa was hitting .314 with 17 walks in 25 games for the Biscuits.

Former Biscuit Beckham suspended for 50 games

Former Montgomery Biscuits infielder Tim Beckham was suspended for 50 games  after his second positive test for use of illegal drugs.

Beckham spent half of last season with the Biscuits before being promoted to Durham where he currently plays.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and I will use this experience to refocus my commitment to baseball,” Beckham said. “I recognize that I am blessed to be able to play baseball for a living.”

Beckham was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft. He was a Southern League All-Star last year for the Biscuits and was hitting .275 in 107 games when the Rays promoted him to Durham.

He had suffered a wrist injury this year and was hitting  just .204.

Staff Report
(May 1, 2012)

Beginning this Fall, 1300 WTLS/106.5 FM will become an affiliate of the Crimson Tide Sports Network.  WTLS carried University of Alabama football games in the 1980s.   The announcement came Tuesday by station owner Michael Butler.

"This is an excellent opportunity for us to have the broadcasts again,” Butler said.  “It will be another avenue for our advertisers to reach a loyal audience.”

The station, which recently increased its broadcast signal to include Montgomery, Wetumpka, Lake Martin and other areas, will broadcast Bama football, basketball and baseball.  The anchor of the line-up is football.  Original WTLS licensee Bert Bank, launched the Alabama football network decades ago in Tuscaloosa.

The football broadcasts will include an extensive pregame and post-game show.  “Hey Coach,” a weekly talk show featuring University of Alabama coaches, will include Nick Saban of the defending champion Crimson Tide football team.

WTLS will also offer a daily program, “The Crimson Tide Today,” with updates on happenings at the Capstone.

Director of Broadcasting Tom Roberts welcomed WTLS to the network.  “We’re happy to have WTLS on-board to spread the Crimson Tide word in the area between Montgomery and Auburn.”

The contract with WTLS and Crimson Tide Sports Properties is a four-year agreement.  Advertising packages are available now.  Contact WTLS at 334-283-8200 for more information.

Compiled by RRS Staff

Results from the third round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association state baseball playoffs. All series are Best of 3. River Region teams in bold.

Contributed
(April 30, 2012)

For the second consecutive week, Auburn University at Montgomery senior standout Brandi Richards has been voted the Southern States Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Richards, who finished the week with a perfect 3-0 record, tossed a pair of shutouts, including a one-hitter against No. 12 Shorter to secure the Warhawks first postseason berth in the program’s history.

On the week, Richards threw 23 innings, allowing just 11 hits and four runs, while striking out 24. The Covington, Ga., native opened the week with a nine-inning six-hitter against No. 16 Brenau, where she earned her first win and struck out six. She followed by tossing a four-hitter against Belhaven to keep AUM in the winner’s bracket at the tournament. With the Warhawks facing elimination, Richards saved her best effort for last, as she struck out 11 and allowed only a fifth-inning single to the opposing pitcher.

For the year, Richards sports a 13-9 record with a 1.26 earned run average. She has struck out 209 hitters in 145 innings and allowed opponents to hit just .155. She has posted 17 complete games in her 20 starts and has tallied four shutouts and two saves.

By advancing to the championship game of the tournament, the Warhawks were awarded an automatic berth in the 32nd Annual NAIA Softball National Championship, held May 17-23 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Also, junior second baseman Haley Johnson has been selected the Southern States Athletic Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

Johnson helped the Warhawks (38-18) secure their first postseason berth in the program’s four-year history by hitting .474 at the SSAC Tournament this weekend. She finished with nine hits in six games, including three doubles. Johnson also drove in four runs and scored four more. She also hit safely in all six games of the tournament.

On the season, Johnson is hitting .309, while scoring 24 runs and driving in 14. She has recorded eight doubles and a triple, while stealing six bases. Johnson has also added a 4-2 record in the circle, posting a 1.84 earned run average in 38 innings pitched.

Contributed
(April 30, 2012)

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Fifth-ranked Lee took advantage of a depleted Faulkner pitching staff, breaking open a scoreless tie in the middle innings and racing away with a 13-0 victory over the third-ranked Eagles here Monday night in the championship game of the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament at Golden Park.

Since being upset Friday night in the second round of the tournament by No. 20 Shorter, the Eagles had used a total of 14 pitchers in winning three games in the losers’ bracket to earn a spot in the title game against the Flames, who entered the finale unbeaten in the double elimination event.

Faulkner starter Cory Hamilton held Lee scoreless through three innings, and it was Faulkner who had the opportunities to break on top, leaving runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings. In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Flames’ Robert Reyes leadoff with a long homer to right, and it opened the floodgates for Lee. Three more hits in the inning accounted for two more runs, putting the Flames on top 3-0.

From there it got out of hand, as Faulkner head coach Patrick McCarthy did his best to find an answer on the mound, but the arms just weren’t there for the Eagles. Three relievers had little luck, and with things slipping away, McCarthy opted to go with position players on the mound the final two innings.

Lee (50-8-1) followed up its three-run fourth with two runs in both the fifth and sixth, four more in the seventh, and added two additional runs in the eighth. The Flames had only one hit through three innings but caught fire from there, collecting 14 hits in their final five at-bats. The Eagles, meanwhile, after squandering scoring opportunities early, managed only three hits on the night.

Lee starter Jose Samayoa (7-0) went seven innings, allowing all three Faulkner hits en route to the victory. The junior righthander struck out seven, but also walked seven, leaving 10 Eagles stranded on the bases. Hamilton took the loss for the Eagles (48-11).

"We used everything we had to get to the championship game, and we had nothing left," McCarthy said. "We played 36 innings in about a 72-hour period, and baseball was just not meant to be played like that. Our guys did enjoy seeing some of our seniors pitch and have some fun out there in the later innings. Now, we turn the page and get ready for the national tournament."

Faulkner now awaits the opening round pairings in the NAIA Championship tournament, which will be released Sunday night. The Eagles are expected to be a No. 1 seed at one of the opening round sites, which will be played May 11-14. The winners of the nine five-team opening round sites join host Lewis-Clark State for the NAIA World Series, which begins May 25 in Lewiston, Idaho.

No. 3 Faulkner’s Southern States Athletic Conference tournament semifinal matchup with Shorter here Monday proved to be a battle for survival - literally and figuratively.

Earlier in the day, the Eagles held off Shorter to advance to the championship game with a 12-10 win at Golden Park.

It looked as if Faulkner would cruise to victory in the early going, racing to a 6-0 lead through two innings. Zak Colby’s three-run double was the big blow, with Daniel Cayton and Brennan Olive each adding RBI singles as the Eagles took control.

The Hawks fought back in a big way in the third, however, as Blake McCullers, Mike Miranda and Kendall Lacey all crushed long home runs to left off of Faulkner starter Nathan Prokuski. The left-hander did survive the inning, which ended with the Eagles’ lead trimmed to 6-5.

Matt Parker’s two-run single in the fourth pushed Faulkner’s lead back to 8-5, but Shorter scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth to tie the game at 8. Olive gave the Eagles the lead for good in the seventh, when he looped a two-run single to left to make it 10-8. Matt Creel’s infield groundout plated another run, and Faulkner led 11-8 through seven innings.

Damon Porter, Faulkner’s fourth pitcher of the afternoon, was solid for 3 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs, both coming in the eighth on a single by the Hawks’ Bobby Triglia and an RBI groundout by Miranda. With two outs in the inning, and Faulkner clinging to the one-run lead, head coach Patrick McCarthy turned to closer Zach Sterling, who struck out Hunter Smith to end the inning, stranding a Hawk runner at second.

Daniel Cayton’s run-scoring single in the top of the ninth offered some insurance, and Sterling retired Shorter in order in the bottom of the ninth to close out the victory. Porter earned the victory and Sterling the save for the Eagles, who improved to 48-10 on the season. Stuart Charleston took the loss for the Hawks.

"We were out there for almost four hours and the temperature was in the 90s," McCarthy said. "I think that’s the most heart I’ve ever had a team show. We gave up some runs, but we didn’t walk too many. And Porter and Sterling really stepped it up when the game was on the line. I’m very proud of this team, regardless of what happens from here."

Olive, Colby and Tucker Willard each had three hits to pace the offensive onslaught for Faulkner, which also got two apiece from Cayton and Creel. Willie Lewis, Antonio Walcott and Miranda all had three hits for Shorter. Faulkner pitchers walked just three batters while Shorter’s walked seven, three of which scored in the Eagles’ four-run first inning.