April 14, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team will play host to Ole Miss for a midweek doubleheader Thursday before jumping back into Southern Conference play this weekend. The Bulldogs and Rebels will take the field at 5 p.m. for the first game followed by a night cap approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
Thursday will not be the first time the two teams have met this year. Ole Miss played host to Samford in the fall for a two-game series. The first game ended in a tie score before Samford took the second game, 7-1.
The Rebels hold a 5-3 series lead over the Bulldogs after sweeping Samford in a doubleheader in the last meeting of the two teams in 2005. Ole Miss won the first game, 7-1, and the second game in extra innings, 2-1. Samford and Ole Miss have played three doubleheaders in series history going into Thursday's matchup and the Rebels have only swept that one in 2005.
The Bulldogs took the first-ever meeting between the two teams in 1997 with a 10-3 win before falling, 8-0, in the second game of the doubleheader. The next year, Samford dropped the first game and won the second.
Samford (11-23, 2-10 SoCon) comes off a tough nine-inning loss at UAB on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs took a quick 1-0 lead to start the game before the Blazers came back to take a 3-1 lead by the fourth inning. However, Samford tied the game in the sixth inning and held UAB scoreless until a fielder's choice scored the runner on third in the ninth inning to give the Blazers the 4-3 victory.
After starting the first 16 games for the Bulldogs, Robyn Harmon was sidelined for the next 16 by an injury. She made her return to the field Tuesday and continues to lead Samford in hitting with a .358 batting average. Alex Adams, who has started all 34 games for the Bulldogs boasts a .280 batting average and leads the team in slugging with a .520 percentage. She had 28 hits on the year, six of which are doubles while six are home runs. She also leads the team in RBI with 20.
Amanda Barrs (1-12) started the game for Samford on Tuesday and pitched seven full innings with four strikeouts. She currently is second on the team in strikeouts with 33 on the year, just behind Harmon (43) and just ahead of Stephanie Royall (32). Harmon boasts a team-low 2.10 ERA while Royall (2.83) holds a 6-6 record including four complete games and three shutouts. She is the all-time leader in strikeouts with 17.
Ole Miss enters Thursday's doubleheader off a Southeastern Conference series in which it was swept by No. 12 Georgia. The Bulldogs were the sixth opponent in the Top 20 that the Rebels had faced this season; four of those are SEC teams. Samford and Ole Miss do have a common opponent in that group in Arizona State. Ole Miss fell at No. 5 Arizona State, 13-0, at the beginning of the season, just before Samford dropped a 6-1 decision in Tempe when the Sun Devils were ranked ninth in the nation.
The Rebels have five players batting over. 300 and two averaging over .400. Lauren Grill leads Ole Miss with a .436 average at the plate. She has started all 39 games for the Rebels and boasts 24 RBI along with 48 hits including five doubles, three triples and four home runs. Corrine Doomberg leads the Rebels in hits (53) and is batting .414 while boasting a team-high 15 stolen bases.
The Ole Miss pitching staff boasts a collective 3.15 ERA led by Lindsey Perry with a 3.08 ERA and a 6-3 record. In 61.1 innings of play, Perry has pitched four complete games, two shutouts and earned two saves. Brittany Barnhill (8-5) is the strikeout leader with 98 in 91.1 innings of play.
Admission is free for both contests and both games of the doubleheader will be streamed via live video on www.samfordsports.com. Samford Athletics will also hold the second round of the Home Run Derby, between the games and after the second game.
