March 20, 2010

Box Score

GREENVILLE, S.C. ---- The Samford softball team dropped the doubleheader at Furman Saturday, giving the Paladins the complete weekend sweep of the Bulldogs. Despite homeruns in each of game by the Bulldogs, Furman was able to bring in more runs in the long run. The Bulldogs fall to 8-13 overall and 1-4 in the Southern Conference while Furman improves to 4-7, 2-4 SoCon.

In the first game, Samford got on the board straight of the gate in the first inning as Amanda Jordan was walked with the bases loaded and one out to drive in Katie England. Furman then recorded the next two outs on back-to-back fielder's choices. In the top of the third, the Bulldogs then took a 2-0 lead on a two-out home run by Alex Adams. The homer is her fifth of the season.

The Bulldogs held the Paladins scoreless for five full innings until Furman took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Samford's pitcher Stephanie Royall walked Morgan Hughey to start of the inning. Then after Kayla Burris relieved Royall, Lana Mackey homered to tie the score at two.

Two batters reached base on two Samford errors before the Bulldogs could record the first out. Another out was recorded on a fielder's choice but it also put runners in scoring position on first and third. Then Brythe Blankenship, the runner on third, scored on a wild pitch by Burris with what would be the winning run and the Paladins took a 3-2 lead.

Adams led the Bulldogs in game one with one run on two hits in three at bats. Jordan also was 1-for-2 at the plate and she and Adams each had an RBI. Five other Bulldogs had a hit including Amy Gonzalez, England, Amanda Barrs, Aaren Fisher and Anna Kimbrell.

Burris (0-1) took her first loss of the season, giving up the winning home run in the sixth inning. Royall started the game and pitched five full innings, giving up just one earned run on three hits while walking three batters and striking out three.

Mackey (3-4) earned the win for Furman, pitching the last four inning of the game. She gave up three hits and struck out six. Hannah Bradley started for the Paladins. She gave up two earned runs on five hits, walked one batter and struck out two.

Mackey also led the Paladins at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance in game one. She scored one run and recorded both of Furman's RBI on her home run. Two other Paladins had hits in game one including Field and Williams.

In the second game, Samford and Furman played four and one-half scoreless innings before the Paladins took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and runners on second and third, Furman's Stephanie Field singled to drive in the first run scored by Alyssa Williams. Then, with the bases loaded, Jessie Homesley doubled to left center to drive in Katie Michaels, Field and Megan Schonhar before Samford could record the third out. Furman added another run in the bottom of the sixth on a home run by Mackey. The Paladins led, 5-0.

The Bulldogs finally got on the board in the top of the seventh on a two-run homer by Aaren Fisher, set up by the lead-off walk of Jordan. However, it would not be enough as the Paladins would complete the sweep of Samford, 5-2.

Three Bulldogs went 1-for-3 at the plate in game two including England, Barrs and Fisher. Fisher led the Bulldogs scoring one run and recording two RBI.

Barrs (1-7) took the loss for the Bulldogs in game two, pitching six full innings. She gave up five earned runs on seven hits, struck out two batters and walked two.

Kayla Suskauer (1-1) earned her first win of the season after giving up just one hit in the first five innings of the game. She also struck out two batters. Mackey closed out the game, giving up two runs on two hits and striking out two in the last two innings.

Field and Schonhar led the Paladins as both went 2-for-3 at the plate. Each also scored a run while Field had one of Furman's five RBI. Homesley recorded three RBI on her home run which was her only hit of the game. Mackey and Williams also each had a hit.

The Bulldogs will return home next where they will host seven games in the next two weeks. Samford will play host to Murray State on Wednesday, March 24, and will play a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. CDT, with the Racers. The Bulldogs will then welcome their conference rival Chattanooga to campus for a weekend series before hosting Mercer in a doubleheader the next Tuesday, March 30.