March 19, 2011

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team captured its first Southern Conference win as it shut out Furman, 3-0, in game one of Saturday's doubleheader before falling in game two, 2-1. The win snapped an 11-game skid for the Bulldogs.

It was also "Kayla Burris Day" out at Bulldog Softball Field. Samford honored the senior pitcher as a part of a series of senior days this season. Burris turned in a stellar performance on her special day as well, pitching a complete-game shutout to earn the win in game one and coming on in relief in the seventh inning of game two to shut down the Paladins' order.

"Kayla did really well for us today," Samford head coach Stephanie VanBrakle said, "especially in the first game. She came out and got ahead of the batters. That's one of the better games she's pitched all year."

In game one, Lakan Smith gave the Bulldogs their first lead in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to right-center field. It was the first career home run for Smith. Samford added two more runs in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly by Amanda Jordan to drive in Robyn Harmon and an RBI single by Nicole Bobrowski to score Brianna Chambers.

Although Furman got five runners on base in the next four innings, Samford managed to hold the Paladins scoreless for the rest of the game and take the 3-0 win.

Harmon and Smith led the Bulldogs at the plate, each going 2-for-3 with a run. Julianne Surane and Chambers each went 1-for-4 while Jordan went 1-for-1 with an RBI. Burris (3-9) pitched a complete game, giving up seven hits while striking out six batters.

Stephanie Field was 2-for-4 for the Paladins while Katie Michaels went 2-for-3. Jessie Homesley, Morgan Hughey and Stephanie Spain also each had a hit for Furman. Lauren Collier (5-9) also pitched a complete game, giving up three runs on eight hits with one strikeout and two walks.

In game two, Furman struck the first blow in the top of the third inning with an RBI single by Homesley to score Michaels. Samford finally tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double by Whitney Terry to drive in Kayla Shaffer. However, Hughey led off the top of the seventh with a home run to center field and the Paladins won the game, 2-1.

Harmon, Terry and Shaffer each had a hit for the Bulldogs in game two. Bobrowski (1-4) took the loss, giving up one earned run on five hits in six innings. Burris pitched the final inning, striking out one batter and walking two.

Alex Bimonte led the Paladins in game two, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Hughey went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI while Homesley went 1-for-2 with a run. Field also went 1-for-3 while Michaels scored a run. Kayla Suskauer (5-4) earned the win, giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks.

"I thought that we finally put something together, in a row, hitting-wise," VanBrakle said. "In the second game, we showed positive progress with Whitney coming in to get the RBI double, but we've just got to learn how to finish it out."

Samford will go for the series win Sunday afternoon as it takes on Furman in the rubber game at 1 p.m. CT at Bulldog Field. Sunday will also be "Aaren Fisher Day". Fisher's trading cards will be given out at the game. A full recap and final statistics will be available at samfordsports.com upon the completion of the game.