March 8, 2003

Box Score

Birmingham, Ala. - The Samford softball team lost a heartbreaker in nine innings, 11-8, to UAB on Saturday afternoon before defeating host Birmingham Southern, 4-1, in the final game of the tournament at the Magic City Classic.

Samford is now 8-6 for the season and finished the tournament in second place with a 2-2 record. UAB won the event for the second year in a row with a 3-1 record. Their only loss was to Samford on Friday, 1-0. BSC finished third with a record of 1-3. Michelle Wright was named a unanimous selection at right field to the All-Tournament team and Sarah Godfrey was also named to the team at designated player.

The Bulldogs will return to action on Wednesday with a home double header against Alabama State at 5 p.m. Samford host its tournament this weekend. The Bulldogs face Alabama A&M at 2 p.m. and Eastern Illinois at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Samford pulled ahead, 2-0, against UAB in the bottom of the second inning. Abi Casillo doubled to right center to send home Kelly Smith and Erin Hall and put the Bulldogs on top.

The Blazers came back with one run in the top of the fourth when catcher Amanda Ellis tripled to right field and scored on a groundout. But Samford quickly put two more runs between them in the bottom of the inning. Sarah Godfrey hit a double to right center to plate Casillo and Deanna Resmondo and make the score 4-1.

UAB pounded out six hits for five runs in the top of the sixth. However, Michelle Wright hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings tied at six.

A runner was placed on second in the eighth inning due to the International TieBreaker rule. The Blazers sacrificed over their runner to third, and a single down the left field line scored the run. After getting one batter to fly out, pitcher Amber Fuller walked three batters in a row to send home a second run for UAB and make the score 8-6.

Erin Hall doubled to right field to lead off the bottom of the eighth for Samford and send home runner Kelly Smith for the run. Godfrey then hit her second double of the night to send Hall home and tie the game again at eight.

UAB scored three runs on three hits in the top of the ninth and held Samford scoreless in the bottom of the inning to take the game with a score of 11-8.

Godfrey went two-for-five at the plate with three RBI. Wright also went two-for-five with two RBI. The home run was her fourth of the year. Hall went two-for-five with two runs scored and Erin Landsburg went two-for-three. The Bulldogs had 13 hits in all.

Erin Landsburg got the start for Samford. She threw six innings giving up 11 hits and six runs. She walked three and struck out five. Fuller relieved her for the final three innings and took the loss to bring her record to 3-2. She gave up five hits, three earned runs, walked four and struck out two.

Landsburg came back with a spectacular pitching performance in the nightcap against the BSC Panthers. She scattered five hits, walked one, struck out five and allowed only one run in the win. Her record now stands at 3-2 for the season.

The Bulldogs got things started early in the top of the first when Bednark singled with Landsburg and Wright on second and third respectively. Landsburg scored and Wright advanced to third. Bednark then challenged the defense by trying to take second allowing Wright to cross home also on the play.

In the top of the fourth, Resmondo doubled to center field to send home Hall and Kelly Smith and put the Bulldogs up 4-0.

BSC scored their only run in the bottom of the seventh when Erin Haggard doubled to left field to plate Andrea Boohaker.

Godfrey went three-for-four at the plate, and Trisha Holman went two-for-three. Bednark extended her hitting streak to 12 games. The Bulldogs had a total of 10 hits against the Panthers.