Though Jarvis Christian lost its four-game series to Faulkner University, the nation’s No. 6 ranked team in the NAIA, in the finale of its Sunday doubleheader, the Bulldogs were able to salvage a victory in game two by the score of 4-2 as the Faulkner Eagles took the series 3-1.
Jarvis Christian played long ball as they rallied with a four run seventh inning after being behind throughout much of the game to take the 4-2 win.
The top of the seventh inning started with Armond Barrios singling to left field, then he advanced to second base on a throwing error by Faulkner catcher Tommy Reyes-Cruz. The next Bulldog batter, Joshua Romero singled to left-center which plated Barrios for Jarvis’ first run of the ball game. With a man on base, Chandler Matthews hit his first homerun of the season, a 2 run shot over the left field fence and JC grabbed a 3-2 lead. The next batter Kevin Ciprian then homered over the left field wall for the 4-2 lead and win. All of the runs were scored by Jarvis with no outs.
For Jarvis Christian, Chandler went 1 for 3, with a home run and two runs batted in, Ciprian homered with one run batted in and Romero’s base hit brought in a RBI. That was all of the run support Jalen Thomas (2-1) needed as he held the No. 6 ranked team at bay all day limiting Faulkner batters to four hits and two earned runs, striking out two in 6.1 innings pitched. Reliever Phillip Griego entered with one away in the seventh recording the last two outs for the save.
Faulkner won the first game of the doubleheader and clinched the series with a 7-1 victory over the Bulldogs as they swept the first two doubleheader games by the score of 5-3 and 7-1.