Faulkner drops baseball opener
Chris Myles drives in the game's first run - photo courtesy of Pt. Loma Athletics
January 30
PT. LOMA, Calif. - Faulkner and Pt. Loma Nazarene began the college baseball season in style here Friday, with both teams battling until the final out before the Sea Lions escaped with a 9-8 victory.
The Eagles and Sea Lions are expected to challenge for their respective conference championships, and the high expectations showed in the season opener. Both teams controlled the game at times, with Pt. Loma taking the lead for good with a three-run outburst in the bottom of the eighth.
Faulkner issued nine free passes - walking four Sea Lion batters and hitting five more. Six of the runners later scored for Pt. Loma.
"We obviously wish we'd won, but I think we saw some things today that we liked about our team,'' Faulkner head coach Brent Barker said. "I think we hit the ball pretty well, and we really fought out there. The bottom line is, though, when you put nine runners on base you're gonna have a tough time winning. Our pitching will get better, and I truly believe that this could be a special season for us.''
For the Eagles, senior Kevin Leslie had an explosive night with a pair of home runs, a double and three runs batted in. Justin Maynard added two hits and two RBI, while Chris Myles and Austin Adams added a pair of hits apiece. Daniel Esparaza took the loss for Faulkner giving up two runs in the decisive eighth inning without recording an out.
Pt. Loma's Wes Kartch and Travis McCleary each had two hits and three RBI to lead the Sea Lion attack. Brandon Dixon earned the win, giving up three runs in six innings of relief.
Faulkner broke on top in the first, with Kevin Leslie opening the game with a double and later scoring on Myles' single. Leslie's two-run homer in the third pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third. The Eagles were up 5-2 headed to the bottom of the fourth, but the Sea Lions took advantage of a pair of walks and a hit batsman to grab their first lead of the game. Kartch singled in two runs and Kurt Steinhauer doubled in two more and Pt. Loma was on top 6-5.
The Eagles reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth on a two-run double by Maynard, but the Faulkner bullpen could not hold it. The Sea Lions scored three times in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Leslie's second homer - a solo shot in the ninth - brought the Eagles to within 1 but Dixon retired the final two Faulkner batters to end it.
Faulkner and Pt. Loma play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.