March 10, 2009
Final Stats
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team split its doubleheader with St. Louis Tuesday evening, falling, 11-8, in an eight-inning hitting battle and winning, 7-5, in the second game which was dominated early by the Bulldogs.
Samford (6-12, 0-3 SoCon) 25 hits on the night and came out with a vengeance in the first game. The Bulldogs wrapped up a one hit first inning with St. Louis (5-13, 0-0 A10) at bat and then rattled off five runs in the bottom of that inning. The Billikens answered back with five of their own in the top of the second inning but Samford kept SLU scoreless for the next three innings.
The Bulldogs took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Whitney Terry bunted to bring in Amanda Barrs but SLU tacked on one more in the top of the sixth to tie the score again. The seventh inning was eventful as the Billikens had only one batter reach base on hit-by-pitch while Samford's Terry was the only Bulldog to reach base.
Extra innings it was for the two teams then, but SLU came out with hot bats, putting up five runs in the top of the eighth. Samford answered back with three of their own but it would not be enough to take the game.
Samford had 13 hits and four errors while SLU had 10 hits and two errors. Stacie Gillette (1-6) got her first win for the Billikens while Kelcie Matesa earned her first save. Stephanie Royall started at the mound for the Bulldogs but was relieved by Kayla Burris (1-2) after giving up those five runs in the top of the second inning. Burris finished out the game, giving up seven hits and one earned run, but striking out nine batters and only walking one.
"We obviously did a lot of things well in this first game," Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham said. "The first inning, we just right out. We had eight hits, scored five runs. The pitchers gave us a lot of ground balls, a lot of what we were looking for but for whatever reason, we are just in a bit of a funk defensively. It's not that we necessarily making physical errors. We are just giving up infield hits and not closing in on the ball hard enough."
Katie England brought in a team-high three runs in the game while Rachael Reeves had two and Aaren Fisher, Amanda Jordan and Terry each had one. Three Bulldogs had doubles in the game - England, Reeves and Amy Gonzalez. Terry led in putouts with 11 while Kristy Lawrence, England and Gonzalez each had four.
In the second game, SLU struck the first blow. The Billikens brought in two runs in the top of the first but the Bulldogs responded with two of their own in the bottom of the inning. With three errors by the Billikens and three straight hits of their own, the Bulldogs tied the game at two.
After a base hit by SLU in the top of the second, Samford record three straight outs and it was then the Bulldogs turn at the plate. Three more runs were scored in the bottom of the inning. While England reached first base on an error by the SLU centerfielder, Fisher, who was on third, came home. Barrs then singled to right field and England rounded the bases and scored the second run. Kristy Lawrence then put Barrs in scoring position on second base and Jordan brought Lawrence in on single to right center.
Again in the third inning, Samford continued to pile on the runs. The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead with two more runs. Reeves was walked in and Barrs brought in Gonzalez on a sacrifice fly. SLU added three more runs - one in the fifth and two in the sixth - but it was not enough as the Bulldogs went on to win it 7-5.
Barrs (1-5) got her first win of the season as she pitched a complete game. She faced 35 batters and struck out six, giving up 12 hits and four earned runs. She only walked two. She also led the team in RBI with two while going two-for-three at the plate.
"Barrs and I talked a little bit and I asked her how her confidence was since she hadn't had a win yet," Ketcham said. "But I have thrown her against our toughest teams so far. One of her goals tonight was to throw one pitch at a time and not worry about the defense behind her and really keep her composure. She did that really well tonight. Another goal for her tonight was to reduce the number of walks and she did that as well."
Samford posted those seven runs on eight hits and only committed one error. The Billikens had 12 hits and six errors in the second game.
"I really challenged our team to bounce right back and told them that everything that is going wrong is fixable," Ketcham said. "We've just got to stay with it and keep scoring runs."
The Bulldogs will be back at home this weekend, March 14-15, as they close out a five-game homestand with their second conference match-up. Samford will host the College of Charleston beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is at 1 p.m. CT. Saturday will also be Strikeout Cancer Day. All proceeds from ticket sales and half from concession sales will benefit the UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology at Children's Hospital.
