Feb. 16, 2008

Box Score - Samford vs. North Florida
Box Score - Samford vs. Troy

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For the second day in a row, the Samford University softball team suffered a pair of heart-wrenching defeats Saturday as the Bulldogs were upended by both North Florida 3-2 and Troy 7-5 on the second day of the 2008 Samford Bulldog Bash.

With the pair of tough-luck losses, Samford (3-6) dropped to 0-4 in the tournament and is scheduled to play Louisville (4-4) in the consolation game at 11 a.m., Sunday at Bulldog Field.

On Saturday, Troy (6-3) and North Florida (5-4) each picked up a pair of victories and will face off at 1:15 p.m., in Sunday's championship game.

In Samford's first game Saturday, a hard-fought loss to North Florida, the contest was tied at 2-2 in the seventh inning when North Florida pushed across the winning run. The Bulldogs' Jessica Owens and Kylie Harmon each went 2-for-3 at the plate.

North Florida was led in hitting by third baseman Heather Hyde who went 2-for-3 and scored a run.

In its second matchup Saturday, Samford lost a shootout against Troy 7-5. The Bulldogs led 4-2 after two innings of play, but the Trojans rallied for five straight runs to earn the victory. Troy's Ashlyn Williams, the odds-on favorite to be named the tournament's Most Valuable Pitcher, picked up the win and improved to 6-1 this season.

Offensively, Samford was led by senior Emily Deaux, who went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs.

The Samford University softball team will conclude play in the 2008 Samford Bulldog Bash on Sunday at 1 p.m., as the Bulldogs square off against Louisville in the consolation game beginning at 11 a.m. Troy and North Florida will then meet in the championship game at 1:15 p.m., at Bulldog Field.