May 9, 2008

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Samford University softball team had its six-game winning streak snapped in the semifinal round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Friday as the Bulldogs suffered a 5-3 loss against the top-seeded Jacksonville State Gamecocks at University Field.

"Even though we lost today, I thought we played a pretty good game," said Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham. "Overall, we did a good job against a tough team, but we just fell short in a couple of areas. If there were just a couple of small things that could have gone differently, then I think it would have been a different outcome."

With the loss, Samford (25-28) moved to the loser's bracket of the six-team competition and must win three games Saturday to earn the 2008 OVC Tournament title.

The Bulldogs' first matchup Saturday is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., and will be against either second-seed Morehead State or fifth-seed Tennessee Tech. The winner of Saturday's 10 a.m., game will move on to face Jacksonville State (37-14) at 12:30 p.m.

"We know that we have a tough stretch ahead of us, but that's nothing new to our team," Ketcham said. "We've had our backs against the wall for the entire second half of the season and that's when we've played some of our best softball. We have a bunch of fighters on this team and I know that they'll be ready to go the distance tomorrow."

Friday's semifinal matchup between Samford and Jacksonville State featured the only remaining undefeated teams in the tournament.

Jacksonville State, which won the conference's regular-season title and earned the right to host the 2008 OVC Tournament, scored four runs in the first three innings of play to take a 4-0 lead. The Gamecocks scored three two-out runs in the third inning and Courtney Underwood's three-run homer was the main blow of the rally.

Underwood, a junior from Huntsville, turned in the best offensive performance of the game as she went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.

Samford's Jessica Owens, Jeslyn Metcalf and Katie England all finished with a pair of hits Saturday. Owens, a First-Team All-OVC selection, went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Metcalf doubled, scored a run and finished 2-for-4. England, who leads the Bulldogs with nine home runs this season, went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

"I thought that we really hit the ball well," said Ketcham. "We out-hit Jacksonville State 9-7 today and they have one of the best offensive teams in the nation. We just didn't make a couple of key plays that really would have helped us."

With Jacksonville State leading 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Samford's England ripped a single to left field with one out in the frame. She later scored the Bulldogs' first run of the game as Kylie Harmon reached base on a deep single to shortstop.

Samford trimmed Jacksonville State's lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning by scoring two runs on three hits.

The Bulldogs' fifth-inning rally started as Owens led off the frame with an infield single to shortstop. Metcalf then powered a line-drive double over the right fielder's head to give Samford runners on second and third with nobody out.

After the Bulldogs' Aaren Fisher grounded into a fielder's choice, Amanda Barrs came to the plate and ripped an apparent double down the left-field line. On the play, Barrs hit a screaming line drive that tipped off the third baseman's glove and bounded all the way into the left field corner.

Two runs would have scored easily on the double down the left field line, but the umpire ruled it a foul ball.

Despite the misfortune of the umpire's decision, Samford still rallied to score a pair of runs in the inning as England drove in Metcalf on an infield single to third base. On the next pitch, Fisher made the score 4-3 as she crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

Jacksonville State's Melissa Dowling came on in the fifth inning and closed out the game with six strikeouts. She only allowed two Bulldogs hits in the final three innings of the game and picked up her second save of the season.

The Gamecocks' Ashley Eliasson (13-3) started the game in the circle and picked up the victory. Samford's Barrs (8-8) started for the Bulldogs and was handed the tough-luck loss.

The Samford University softball team will next be in action Saturday at 10 a.m., as the Bulldogs square off against the winner of Friday's night's game between Morehead State and Tennessee Tech. With a win in its first game Saturday, the Bulldogs will advance to play the Gamecocks at 12:30 p.m.

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