Eagles split series with No. 7 Shorter
Brittany Hardmon crushes a two RBI triple against the Hawks
March 11, 2008
Montgomery, Ala. – The Eagles took on No. 7 Shorter College in a doubleheader yesterday at the Faulkner Softball Complex. The Hawks entered the game 11-3 overall and were tied with Lee for second place in the conference standings with a 2-0 record. Faulkner played tough in both games and were able to take game one 8-4, but came up short 6-3 in game two.
Emily Jimmerson took the mound to start the series for the Eagles. The freshman struck out four batters while allowing only three hits and two earned runs over seven innings. The Hawk’s high powered offense, which averaged over seven points per game entering the series, struggled to get on the board.
Both teams were held scoreless until Shorter’s Jessica Sanders belted a two-run shot in the top of the third inning. Shauna Suttle returned the favor in the bottom of the fourth when she blasted a solo shot leaving the Hawks with a one run lead. Faulkner gave up another run in the top of the fifth, but answered with three of their own that same inning. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth junior Katie Godfrey tied the game with an RBI single. Sophomore Courtney Barber followed suit with an RBI single that scored the go-ahead run.
Faulkner kept Shorter scoreless in the sixth inning then went back to work at the plate. With one out in the bottom of the sixth junior Brittany Hardmon drilled the ball deep for a two RBI triple. Freshman Jennifer Ellisor drove in another run on a sacrifice fly and Katie Godfrey added another RBI to the stat sheet with a triple late in the inning. The Hawks would score another run in the seventh, but it did little to soften the blow as the Eagles went on to win the game 8-4.
Faulkner put up 13 hits in game. It was the Eagles’ best hitting performance since the Thomas series in mid February. Brittany Hardmon was 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and Shauna Suttle was 2-for-3 with a home run. Jessica Tumlinson also finished 2-for-3 and Kate Godfrey was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Cheryl Lavarnway unloads against the Hawks in game two
The Eagles entered game two with a new-found confidence and hoped to sweep the Hawks by repeating the performance. Things looked promising for the Eagles early on as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Faulkner held the Hawks scoreless until the fourth inning when Shorter fetched a single run. The game remained tied until fifth inning when Jessica Sanders hit another homer driving in three runs for the Hawks. Brittany Hardmon balanced the hitting extravaganza by hammering a leadoff solo shot in the bottom of the same inning. The Eagles managed another run cutting the Hawks lead to one. The Eagles struggled defensively in the sixth inning and gave up two more runs which pushed Shorter into the 6-3 win.
Cheryl Lavarnway held the mound for Faulkner in game two. The senior struck out three batters while gaving up 13 hits and five earned runs. Jennifer Ellisor and Shauna Suttle were both 2-for-4 in game two. Katie Godfrey, Courtney Barber and Brittany Hardmon were all 1-for-3 and each had an RBI.
Though the loss was disappointing the Eagles had a great deal to be proud of in game two. Faulkner faced filled bases with few outs on multiple occasions and held the Hawks to only two runs under those conditions. The Eagles also put up seven hits against a strong defensive team and fought back after making mistakes.
This is a hungry, young program that continues to improve and surprise its opponents. The Eagles are now 7-9 overall and 1-1 in the conference. The Eagles will face No. 11 Lee University at home in a doubleheader on Thursday at 1 p.m.