April 25, 2010

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford baseball team committed a combined 13 errors in two games as the Bulldogs were swept in their Southern Conference doubleheader against Appalachian State Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Samford lost the first game, which was suspended Friday night in the fifth inning, by a score of 17-7. The Bulldogs dropped game two, 7-3.

With the losses, Samford drops to 23-16 overall and 11-6 in Southern Conference play. Appalachian State improves to 29-8-1 overall and 11-8-1 in league play.

The teams began the first game Friday evening, but the game was suspended just prior to the beginning of the fifth inning due to inclement weather. In that game, Wayne Miller went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Michael Johnson went 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI. Austin Allison was also 2-for-4 in game one.

The Bulldogs committed eight errors in the first game, leading to 12 unearned runs. Jonathan Stephens started the game on the mound for Samford, pitching 4.0 innings, giving up seven runs, just one earned, on seven hits. Stephens struck out five batters while walking just one.

Josh Martin replaced Stephens on the mound when the game was resumed on Sunday, pitching 2.2 innings, giving up seven runs, but only two earned on seven hits to take the loss and drop his season record to 3-5. Michael Gunter and Tyler Vanderheiden also pitched in game one for Samford.

Appalachian State was led at the plate in game one by Wes Hobson, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI. Ryan Stetson also homered for the Mountaineers, going 2-for-7 with three RBI. Jeremy Dowdy went 3-for-6 with three RBI, while Tyler Zupcic went 3-for-5 for ASU.

Will Helms entered the game on the mound for ASU to get the final out before the game was suspended on Friday and then returned to start the fifth inning on Sunday. Helms pitched 1.1 innings, giving up no runs on two hits to earn the win and improve to 4-0 on the season.

After each team scored a run in the first inning of game one, Samford took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Brad Moss grounded out to drive in Johnson for a 2-1 Samford lead. Miller later singled to left-center field to drive in Allison to give Samford a 3-1 lead.

ASU came back with a run in the top of the third inning. Hobson homered to center field to cut the Samford lead to 3-2.

Samford answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the third inning to push its lead to 4-2. Johnson homered to right field for a two-run Samford lead.

Appalachian State plated five runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 7-4 lead. Stetson hit a three-run home run to left-center field and Hobson hit a two-run shot to right-center field for a three-run Mountaineer lead.

Samford came back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score again at 7-7. Bo Smith singled up the middle to drive in Mason Meredeth and Miller to cut the ASU lead to one run. Trey Hayes later doubled to center field to drive in David Schulze with the game-tying run.

Prior to the start of the fifth inning, rain and lightning caused the game to be suspended. When the game was resumed on Sunday, Appalachian State plated a run in the fifth inning and another in the sixth to take a 9-7 lead. In the fifth inning, Doug Jones reached on an infield single to drive in Zupcic with the eventual game-winning run. The run in the sixth inning was scored when Jerod Faggart hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Hector Crespo for a two-run ASU lead.

The Mountaineers took control of the game with five runs in the seventh inning to make the score 13-7. Jones, Crespo, Faggart, Dowdy and David Towarnicky drove in a run each in the seventh inning for the Mountaineers.

ASU finished the scoring with three runs in the eighth inning to make the final score 17-7. Faggart was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Dowdy hit a two-run single for the game's final three runs.

In game two, Miller again led Samford, going 4-for-5 at the plate. Johnson went 2-for-4, while Schulze went 1-for-2 to extend his current hitting streak to 15 games.

Kyle Putkonen pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits to take the loss and drop to 3-3 on the season. Andrew Jones and Lex Rutledge also saw time on the mound for Samford. The Bulldogs committed five errors in game two, leading to three more unearned runs.

For ASU in game two, Hobson was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. Stetson was 3-for-5 for the Mountaineers as well. Dowdy went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Helms again earned the win for ASU, pitching a third of an inning in relief, allowing no hits to improve to 5-0 on the season. Chris Patterson pitched the final 2.1 innings, giving up no runs on four hits to earn his 13th save of the season.

After ASU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Samford took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first. Miller scored on an ASU error to tie the game. Hayes later hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Meredeth for a 2-1 Samford lead.

ASU tied the score with a run in the top of the third inning. Hobson doubled to right-center field to drive in Crespo to make the score 2-2.

Samford took the lead again with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hayes walked with the bases loaded to score Moss for a 3-2 Samford lead.

Appalachian State took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Towarnicky doubled to drive in Dowdy to tie the score. Jason Wallace later drove in Towarnicky from third base with a sacrifice bunt for a 4-3 ASU lead.

The Mountaineers added a run in the seventh inning and two more in the ninth to make the final score 7-3. In the seventh inning, Dowdy singled to drive in Hobson for a 5-3 lead. In the ninth inning, Dowdy and Faggart both scored on a Samford error for the game's final two runs.

Samford will return to action on Tuesday, April 27, when the Bulldogs play at Auburn. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start from Plainsman Park.