2022 NAIA Avista-NAIA World Series – Game Five Recap
No. 9 Faulkner (Ala.) pulls first upset of the World Series
FINAL SCORE
No. 7 Faulkner (39-15) def. No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan (54-7), 7-4 | Box Score
Faulkner advances to play Monday at 8:30 p.m. CST in Game 12 against No. 3 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
Tennessee Wesleyan will play in Game 10 (elimination) against the winner of No. 9 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and No. 5 Bellevue (Neb.) on Monday at 1:30 p.m. CST
GAME NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS
• Coming off playing just under five hours earlier, the Eagles matched up against a team who had yet to play in the tournament
• Faulkner is the third team in the modern era to win two games in one day – Cumberland (Tenn.) in 2010 and Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) in 1992
• Playing earlier may have been a factor in Faulkner jumping out to a 2-0 lead in second inning
• The game saw no scores until Faulkner’s Kevin Saenz blasted a three run shot to right center
• Tennessee Wesleyan woke up in the bottom of the fifth off a two-RBI homer from Zach Hogueisso and then a double down the line by Carson Ford
• After getting within striking distance, the Bulldogs’ Liam Doolan walked a batter with the bases loaded to make it a 6-3 score
• TWU minimized the damage as it ended the inning with three runners still on the base paths
• Facing a three run deficit and six outs to overcome, the Bulldogs wasted no time as Livian Reinoso swung at the first pitch he saw and lofted it into the left field bleachers
• Runners at first and second with two outs away in the eighth, Brayan Garcia ended the inning with a strikeout
• Recording two quick outs in the top of the ninth, momentum seemed to be favoring TWU
• Jordan Funk launched a solo shot amidst his 3-3 outing to go along with two runs and RBI
• The tying run was at the plate with an out punched in the ninth after consecutive singles by Jermayne Ward and Cayle Webster
• Pop fly and strike out were the final two outs for the Bulldogs off the arm of Garcia
• J.C. Toro (W, 6-2) went 6.1 for the Eagles; Kobe Foster (L, 13-1) suffers his first loss this year
• Parker Stinnett and Reinoso had four of TWU’s eight hits
• Saenz may have only been 1-4 but his three runs homer gave the Eagles a commanding 5-0 lead
