Feb. 28, 2010

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team wrapped up a weekend of play in frigid temperatures with the final day of the Magic City Classic Sunday. The Bulldogs fell to Troy, 9-6. Samford went 1-3 in the tournament and is now 5-5 overall while the Trojans went 3-1 over the weekend and improve to 9-4.

UAB was the tournament champion with a 4-0 record. Nicholls State went 2-2 while Alabama State ended the tournament with a 0-4 record.

After UAB defeated Nicholls State in a 7-2 game that saw four home runs, three by the Blazers and one by the Colonels, Samford and Troy set out to finish off the three-day tournament.

The Trojans quickly took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first but Samford roared back to take a 5-3 lead. Troy would score six more to make it a 9-5 game before Alex Adams hit a home run to make the final score 9-6.

"We've hit a rough patch here where we are struggling a little bit so I was proud of our kids for fighting and coming back," Samford Head Coach Beanie Ketcham said. "We are just struggling to find a rhythm defensively and we are not making plays we should be making."

Troy batted around in the first inning as the Trojans scored one run on a fielder's choice, the second on a hit batsman and the third on a bases loaded walk.

However, Samford charged back and batted nine times also in the bottom of the inning to score five runs to take the lead. With one out and runners on second and third, Adams singled to the shortstop to score the first two runs. Adams then advanced to second when Aaren Fisher was hit by a pitch before both advanced a base on a wild pitch.

After a pitching change, Amanda Jordan singled to score Adams and Fisher while advancing to second base on the throw to home in an attempt to tag the runner. Next, Anna Kimbrell singled up the middle which advanced Jordan to third base.

With runners on the corners, Rachael Reeves took a high pitch to the head to load the bases. Amy Gonzalez singled to bring home Jordan before the Trojans recorded the third out.

Troy then shutout Samford for the next five innings while scoring two runs in the top of the second, third and sixth to take a 9-5 lead.

Adams rattled off her third home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but Fisher flied out and Jordan popped up to end the game with a score of 9-6.

"I was proud of the way they came back and hit the ball better today," Ketcham said. "Our pitching was okay today, but we just had too many walks. All the pieces are there, we just aren't clicking yet. I think we are still in a good place to have a good season. We just have to stay focused and keep working."

Adams and Jordan led the Bulldogs again on Sunday, each going 2-for-4 at the plate. Adams scored two runs and recorded three RBI while also leading her team on defense, along with Robyn Harmon, with six putouts. Jordan scored one run and was credited with two RBI. Harmon and Fisher each had a run while Gonzalez, Barrs and Kimbrell had one hit.

Stephanie Royall took the loss for the Bulldogs which brings her overall record to 3-1 on the season. She gave up five earned runs on six hits and walked two batters in two and one-third innings. Harmon relieved and pitched three and two-thirds innings, recording one strikeout, walking one batter and giving up two runs on one hit. Barrs finished out the game, pitching the seventh inning, recording one strikeout and giving up just one hit.

Troy was led by Kala Moore, Kaitlin Kenney and Rocky Paige. Moore went 2-for-5 and scored two runs while Paige was 2-for-4 at the plate for the Trojans. Kenney went 1-for-5 with one run while Hayden Gann led her team in RBI with three while going 2-for-5 at the plate and scoring two runs.

Ashlyn Williams (7-3) got the win for Troy after relieving Haley Hutchins with two outs in the first inning. Williams struck out six batters and gave up just two earned runs on six hits with one walk in six and two-thirds innings.

The Bulldogs are back in action this weekend as they head west to compete in the Wilson/DeMarini Invitational at No. 12 Arizona State. Samford will begin tournament play on Friday, March 5, against Creighton at 10 a.m. CT, before taking on Northern Iowa at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, they will face ASU at 4:30 p.m., then take on UC-Santa Barbara at 8:30 p.m. Samford will then wrap up the weekend with a 10 a.m., meeting against Idaho State on Sunday.