JACOBS FIELD | MOBILE, Ala. - The University of Mobile Baseball team wrapped up a three-game weekend series against Faulkner University (Ala.) on Sunday afternoon, Mar. 24, finishing 1-2 against the NAIA's 10th-ranked team in the country.
Mobile and Faulkner (22-8, 13-5) began the weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday at Jacobs Field, with Faulkner managing victories across both games. The Eagles won a seven-inning contest 5-4 to open the weekend against the Rams, while defeating Mobile 13-5 in the nightcap on Saturday. One day later, Mobile managed a comeback in the late stages on the series finale, defeating No. 10 Faulkner, 13-10.
Mobile's overall record moves to 9-12 following the three games against Faulkner, with the Rams sitting in sixth place in the current SSAC Baseball standings with an 8-7 conference record.
Series Recap
Game One [Box Score]: Both Mobile and Faulkner began action on a windy Saturday afternoon with two scoreless innings before the Eagles hit the scoreboard first in the top of the third inning. Faulkner's Orlando Lorduy hit a two-run home run off Mobile starting pitcher Tyler Cruse to break the scoreless tie in the third. One inning later, Faulkner continued to find momentum against Cruse and scored three more runs following a three-run homer from the Eagles' nine-hole hitter Jorge Lucero. Faulkner led Mobile 5-0 entering the bottom half of the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Mobile's offense sparked and saw three runs eventually cross home plate. Peyton Bell opened the inning with a walk, later coming around to score Mobile's first run of the game on a wild pitch. Alex McWhorter later tacked on Mobile's second run by working a bases-loaded walk, and Sam Mansell drove in the Rams' third run with a sacrifice fly. Mobile then added another run next inning following a Peyton Bell solo homer, his second of the season.
Now trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the sixth, Mobile saw runners reach second and third with no outs. However, Faulkner's pitching staff escaped danger and deflated the Rams' comeback by not allowing the tying run to score. Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh with the Rams still trailing by one run, Faulkner managed to record two quick outs before Sam Bowman stepped up to the plate. Bowman, Mobile's RBI leader this season, represented the tying run with two outs and barreled up a breaking ball to deep left center field. Bowman and the Mobile dugout thought the game was tied when the ball left the bat, but an outstanding catch by Faulkner left fielder Eduarny Martinez while crashing into the wall ended the game.
Mobile finished the series opener with just three hits and four walks as a team, while leaving five runners on base. Meanwhile, Faulkner recorded just four hits in the one-run victory. Individually, Peyton Bell finished 1-for-3 with a walk and his second long ball of the year. Tyler Cruse was charged with the loss on the mound, tossing five innings of three-hit ball and striking out two. Jacob Davis and Matthew Holston combined to throw two scoreless innings from out of the Mobile bullpen.
Game Two [Box Score]: Later on Saturday, game two quickly got out of hand for Mobile and starting pitcher Trey Watson. The Eagles pushed across five runs in the top of the first inning off Watson, chasing him from the game after recording just one out. Landon Moore then came in from out of the Mobile bullpen and pitched several scoreless innings to keep the Rams in the ballgame. However, Faulkner eventually chased Moore from the game in the sixth inning, leading the Rams 8-0 in the process.
Mobile chipped away at the Faulkner lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth following a Alex McWhorter double. The Rams added three more runs in the seventh as Peyton Bell opened the scoring with a bases-loaded walk. Sam Bowman produced a run off a sacrifice fly and J.T. Lastorka recorded an RBI single in the same inning. Faulkner's offense proved to be too much for the Mobile pitching staff across game two, though, with the Eagles eventually totaling 13 runs. The game went final, 13-5.
Faulkner recorded 10 hits as a team, while seeing over 20 runners reach base safely. For Mobile, the Rams tallied seven hits in the game two defeat, being led by Bryce Eddington and J.T. Lastorka with two hits a piece. Mobile Head Coach Kyle Friday was forced to use six pitchers in the loss.
Game Three [Box Score]: On Sunday afternoon, Mobile attempted to shake off the two losses from Saturday's doubleheader against the 10th-ranked Eagles, opening the game with three runs scored in the bottom of the first inning. Alex McWhorter opened the scoring with a two-run single to left center field, being followed by a RBI single from Jackson Breal. After the quick 3-0 start for the Rams, Faulkner then proved why the Eagles are ranked inside the top 10 in the NAIA, recording an eight-run second inning in response.
The eight-run second from Faulkner chased Mobile starting pitcher Ethan McPherson from the game, with Sam Mansell checking in from out of the bullpen. Mansell eventually quieted the Faulkner bats with three-straight scoreless innings throughout the middle part of the Sunday finale.
Trailing 8-3, Mobile began the comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning with two runs. Sam Bowman's fifth homer of the season put the Rams back in the ballgame in the inning. Faulkner's Juan Trinidad then answered Mobile's two runs in the fifth with a two-run homer in the sixth, putting the Eagles back up five runs. Mobile continued to fight, however, scratching off four runs in the sixth and adding another run in the seventh to cut the Faulkner lead down to one. Peyton Bell and J.T. Lastorka each homered in the sixth to shift momentum.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mobile reclaimed the lead following a wild pitch that scored Cameron Brock. Landon Moore then came up clutch with a single to right field to score two insurance runs. From there, Matthew Holston closed out the game from the rubber, earning the victory on the mound for Mobile.
Peyton Bell finished 3-for-4 in the series finale, recording a pair of RBIs. Alex McWhorter also finished with three hits and two RBIs, tallying a 3-for-5 line as Mobile's designated hitter, and Landon Moore notched a 2-for-4 line with a triple and two runs driven in. As a team, the Rams out-hit Faulkner 14-11 and saw Matthew Holston toss 2 1/3 scoreless innings from out of the bullpen to end the game.
Back to Georgia Next Weekend
Mobile will look to carry momentum from the Sunday slugfest against No. 10 Faulkner into next weekend's three-games series against Point University (Ga.) in West Point, Ga. Next weekend's series is scheduled to begin with a 2:00 p.m. CT doubleheader on Friday, Mar. 29, being followed by the series finale on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
For complete coverage of University of Mobile Athletics, follow the Rams on social media at /MobileRams (Facebook), @UMobileRams ("X" FKA Twitter), and @umobilerams (Instagram), or visit the official home of the University of Mobile Athletic Department at https://umobilerams.com/.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
