March 30, 2010

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Junior shortstop Amanda Jordan's walk-off bunt single in the bottom of the seventh inning against Mercer Tuesday gave the Samford softball team a 1-0 win and snapped a five-game losing streak for the Bulldogs. The two teams played a doubleheader at Bulldog Field with Mercer winning game one by a score of 5-0.

Samford (10-19) fell in the first game, 5-0, after Mercer put up five runs in the top of the seventh inning. The loss was the fifth in a row for Samford at home. The Bulldogs answered back with their own late-game tiebreaker to win the second game, 1-0.

"It certainly felt good to win one," Samford Head Coach Beanie Ketcham said. "It feels like a big monkey off our back and it was a nice way to win it in terms of execution."

The first game was scoreless until Mercer finally got on the board in the seventh inning. With one out, pinch-hitter Allison Jones singled up the middle with runners on first and second and then advanced to second on the throw to drive in Sara Stukes for the first run of the game. Amanda Santa Maria was then walked to load the bases but the next batter reached on a fielder's choice as Lilli Luke was thrown out trying to score.

With two outs, Kristin Marko singled to drive in the runners on second and third before Emi Sherrill hit a two-run single to clear the bases. The Bears took a 5-0 lead and would go on to win by that score after retiring the Bulldogs in the bottom of the inning.

Amy Gonzalez led the Bulldogs going 2-for-3 at the plate while Amanda Barrs had Samford's third hit. Stephanie Royall started the game, striking out five batters while giving up just two hits in four innings before being relieved by Barrs. Barrs (1-12) gave up the five runs on three hits in just two and two-thirds innings of play to take the loss. Royall then stepped back into the game to record the last out.

Five Bears had one hit each while Marko and Sherrill each recorded two RBI. Jenni Holtz (12-9) pitched a complete game, giving up just three hits while recording 11 strikeouts.

The second game started like the first, going six and one-half innings with no runs scored. Then Barrs led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to left field. Katie England laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Barrs to third before the Mercer pitcher intentionally walked Alex Adams for the third time of the night. Amanda Jordan then drove Barrs in on a bunt to give the Bulldogs the win, 1-0.

Stukes led Mercer in the second game going 2-for-3 at the plate while four other Bears each recorded a hit. Kari Chambers (4-2) pitched six complete innings, giving up just one earned run on two hits while striking out seven batters.

Fisher, Barrs and Jordan each had a hit for the Bulldogs in the second game. Emily Waters (1-0) threw a complete game in her first collegiate pitching experience and her first pitch was a strike. She gave up six hits, walked one batter and struck out one.

"Emily threw a great game," Ketcham said. "She was very poised and very composed. She just did a nice job and the defense played well behind her. We didn't hit the ball particularly well but we executed when it counted. Sometimes that's all it takes."

"Overall I was pleased. I was frustrated in the first game. We had too many strikeouts, but we are scratching and fighting right now for anything we can get so we will take it."

The Bulldogs will be back on the road this weekend as they head to the College of Charleston to jump back into conference play. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday that will begin at 2 p.m., before wrapping up the series on Saturday with a single game at 12 p.m.