March 8, 2005

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University softball team will continue its seven-game homestand on Wednesday as the Bulldogs welcome the Auburn Tigers to Bulldog Field for an in-state contest beginning at 6 p.m.

"This is going to be a tough game for us," said Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham. "Auburn is playing really well right now and they have one of their best teams of all time this season. They have a powerful offense and good pitching, and we're kind of struggling with the bat right now."

Samford (7-10) heads into Wednesday's non-conference matchup looking to end its four-game losing streak.

The Bulldogs hosted the 2005 Union State Bank Magic City Classic over the weekend and dropped four hard-fought contests against cross-town rivals Birmingham-Southern and UAB. Samford played each team twice and fell 6-1 and 2-1 versus UAB and lost 4-0 and 4-3 against Birmingham-Southern.

In their weekend finale versus BSC, the Bulldogs played in their third extra-inning contest of the 2005 campaign, but fell 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Samford owns a 1-2 record in extra-inning games this season.

Samford's Susanna Meyer finished last week with a phenomenal 0.48 earned run average in starts against both Birmingham-Southern and UAB. She pitched a total of 14.2 innings and registered 17 strikeouts, and only allowed four walks.

The Bulldogs' sophomore starter from Davie, Fla., limited her opponents to a .189 batting average and only gave up one earned run on 10 scattered hits. She currently leads the team with 54 total strikeouts.

"We just have to continue working hard and coming to the ballpark with a good attitude every day and things will turn around for us," Ketcham said. "We're struggling a little bit right now, but with a couple of wins, we'll be able to build up some confidence and hopefully we'll be able to get in a groove heading into conference play."

Auburn (24-6) enters Wednesday's matchup looking to bounce back from a 16-1 loss at the hands of Iowa in the semifinal round of the 2005 Buzz Classic held in Marietta, Ga.

The loss was the Tigers' worst defeat of the season and snapped a seven-game winning streak. Auburn owns a remarkable 17-3 record in its previous 20 games, but is only 2-2 on the road. The Tigers are currently 11-2 when playing at home and are 10-2 when facing off against an opponent in a neutral setting.

Auburn's top pitcher this season is sophomore Beth DiPietro who owns a 12-2 overall record and a miniscule 1.78 earned run average. She has already registered six shutouts during the 2005 campaign and has accumulated 76 strikeouts.

The Tigers have five players batting over .300 this season, including a pair of hitters at .400 or better. Sophomore Holly Currie boasts a .405 batting average, while Kristina McCain is holding steady at .400.

Samford will face off against Auburn for the 15th time in school history on Wednesday as the in-state rivals meet in Birmingham, Ala., for only the sixth time.

Auburn currently leads the all-time series, 8-6, and owns a 4-1 record against Samford on the road. Under the direction of Ketcham, the Bulldogs hold a 1-1 mark versus Auburn.

The Samford University softball team will play against its third-consecutive in-state opponent on Wednesday as the Bulldogs host the Auburn Tigers in a non-conference matchup beginning at 6 p.m., at Bulldog Field.