Feb. 29, 2008

Box Score - Samford vs. Birmingham-Southern
Box Score - Samford vs. Columbia

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University softball team played to a 1-1 record on Friday's opening day of the 2008 Magic City Classic. The Bulldogs cruised past the Birmingham-Southern Panthers 7-1, but then suffered a heart-wrenching 4-3 defeat against the Columbia Lions in an eight-inning marathon held at Spain Park High School.

Samford (7-9) will resume play in the seven-team competition Saturday at 11 a.m., against Grambling. At 1 p.m., the Bulldogs are scheduled to square off against the cross-town rival UAB Blazers.

In Samford's first game Friday, which was a 7-1 victory against Birmingham-Southern (8-6), senior Emily Deaux tallied a 3-for-4 performance at the plate and drove in three runs.

The Bulldogs powered a season-high 13 hits in the game and Jessica Owens, Kylie Harmon, Aaren Fisher and Jeslyn Metcalf all recorded two-hit outings. Sophomore first baseman Amanda Barrs turned in a 1-for-3 outing at the plate and added a pair of RBIs to go along with her two runs scored.

Samford's Kayla Burris (4-3) earned the complete-game victory in the circle and only allowed one earned run. The Bulldogs' freshman pitcher from Cordova, Tenn., finished with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

By scoring two runs in its first at-bat and then adding another one in the second frame, Samford jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. The Bulldogs then put the game away in the top of the seventh inning with four more runs. In the frame, Samford strung together four hits and took advantage of a Birmingham-Southern error.

Sophomore Katie England also tallied a hit for the Bulldogs in the lopsided 7-1 victory.

In Samford's second game Friday, Columbia (3-0) rallied for a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to send it into overtime and then tallied the game-winning score in the eighth frame to complete its come-from-behind 4-3 victory.

The Bulldogs fell behind in the bottom of the third inning as the Lions scored two runs on four hits to take an early 2-0 lead.

Then, in the sixth inning, Samford strung together a rally of its own by scoring three runs on three hits. The Bulldogs also took advantage of a pair of Columbia errors. The key play of the inning was a two-RBI triple to right center field from Fisher. Samford's true freshman from Henderson, Nev., was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored.

The Bulldogs scored their third run of the frame when Fisher crossed the plate on a double to left center field by Deaux.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Columbia tied the score at 3-3 when Keli Leong sent a double to center field that allowed Karen Tulig to cross the plate. Leong paced the Lions with a 3-for-4 performance.

Columbia scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. On the final play of the game, Anne Marie Skylis doubled to center field and Ciji Rich scored from second base after being placed there due to the international tiebreaker rule.

Samford's Stephanie Royall (2-3) suffered the tough-luck loss despite only pitching the eighth inning.

The Samford University softball team will resume play in the 2008 Magic City Classic on Saturday as the Bulldogs square off against the Grambling Tigers at 11 a.m. Samford is then scheduled to meet the UAB Blazers at 1:15 p.m.