Baseball wins series opener over Faulkner Friday

NEW ORLEANS – Playing at Tulane's Turchin Stadium this weekend, the No. 17-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack opened a three-game set against the Faulkner Eagles on Friday, claiming the first game of the series, 11-6. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
 

Loyola (28-15, 13-6) got on the board first when Brandon Mooney doubled to lead off the bottom of the first and was moved to third on a groundout by Tucker Ganley during the next at-bat. After Cole Romero walked to put two on with one out, the Eagles had a failed double-play attempt that resulted in everyone being safe while also scoring Mooney from the third, 1-0. Faulkner, however, answered quickly, using a two-run home run in the top of the second to go ahead, 2-1. 
 

With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Anthony Fernandez kept the frame alive by reaching on an infield error. Jake Mills followed that up with a single to right field, then Landon Trosclair singled to left-center to score Fernandez and tie the game, 2-2. Pinch runner Ross Selvaggi stole second to put two in scoring position for Aaron Davis, who doubled down the left-field line to plate two more, 4-2. Mooney singled to right to score Davis one batter later, 5-2, and that ended Loyola's scoring for the frame. 
 

Faulkner scored a pair in the top of the sixth, 5-4, but Loyola got one of those runs back in the bottom half. Fernandez led off the frame by getting hit by a pitch, then Mills doubled down the left-field line to put a couple of runners in scoring position with no outs. With one out, Davis laid down a bunt to the Faulkner pitcher, and after he committed to the throw to first base, Fernandez came home to score, 6-4. 
 

The Pack added five more runs in the seventh to create some separation. Christopher Bohrer came up with the first RBI, bringing home Romero, then a double by Fernandez brought home Kason Cullins to push the Loyola advantage to 8-4. With the bases loaded a couple of at-bats later, a ball off the bat of pinch-hitting Nathan Monceaux went through the Faulkner second baseman's legs to score two more runs, 10-4, and a double-steal play with runners on the corners brought home Selvaggi for Loyola's 11th run. 
 

Still picked up his team-high seventh win of the season after working 5.2 innings Friday night. The left-hander scattered eight hits and gave up four runs - three earned - with three strikeouts. Still had to work around trouble for most of his outing, leaving five Faulkner stranded during his time on the mound. Andrew Riedell was excellent in relief as well, working 2.2 innings before Joshua Orr finished off the last two outs in the ninth. 
 

Pack Facts

• This was Loyola's 17th game this season with double-digit runs. It's also the 23rd game this season with at least 10 hits for the team this year. 

• Stephen Still got his seventh pitching win of the season, putting him at 18 for his career. The seven wins this season are tied for the sixth-most in a season in program history, while his 18 career wins are also the sixth-most. 

• Still also now has 75 strikeouts this season, the third-most in a season in team history. He now owns two of the top three spots on Loyola's single-season strikeouts list, as he set the school record last year with 95. Tory Western holds the second spot on the list with 80 Ks in 2000. 

• With 232 strikeouts in his career, Still needs eight more to break Western's school record for career strikeouts. 

• Brandon Mooney went 3-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. 

• Mooney, who is batting .440 this season, has recorded at least three hits in 12 different games this season. 

• Aaron Davis led the team with three RBI on Friday, while Anthony Fernandez led the team with three runs scored. Cole Romero also extended his team-best on-base streak, which is now at 60 games dating back to last season.
   

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