April 16, 2011

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- A two-run home run by freshman infielder Lakan Smith gave the Samford softball team the win in game one Saturday as the Bulldogs split the first two games of a Southern Conference series with Elon. Samford won the first game, 3-2, before falling in the second game, 7-1.

The home run was Smith's second of the year and it gave the Bulldogs their tenth win of the season and their sixth over the Phoenix.

After each team put up just one hit in the first two innings of game one, Elon was the first to get on the board in the third with a two-run double down the left field line by Tomeka Watson to score Caitlin McGowan and Carleigh Nester. Samford cut the lead to one in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly by Brianna Chambers to drive Kayla Shaffer in after Shaffer tripled to right field to lead off the inning.

Samford pitcher Kayla Burris and the Bulldog defense shut out the Phoenix in the next three innings, allowing no runs, one hit and just one walk. Smith gave the Bulldogs the 3-2 lead with her two-run home run over the center field wall in the bottom of the sixth inning. Then, after Danielle Lafferty led off the seventh inning for the Phoenix with a single, Samford shut down the Elon bats and walked away with the win.

Five Bulldogs had one hit each to account for Samford's five hits in game one. Smith's home run came in her only at-bat of the game as she was pinch-hitting for Arica Dykes. Chambers also was 1-for-1 with an RBI while Allison Reynolds went 1-for-2. Amanda Jordan, the day's senior honoree, went 1-for-3 while Shaffer was 1-for-4 with a run.

Burris (7-12) pitched her 13th complete game of the season and gave up just one earned run on five hits. She fanned three batters and allowed two walks.

Watson led the Phoenix at the plate, going 2-for-3 with both of Elon's RBI. Nester, McGowan and Lafferty each had the other three Phoenix hits while Nester and McGowan also each scored a run.

Erin O'Shea (7-9) started the game and took the loss, giving up two runs on four hits with two strikeouts and one walk. O'Shea pitched the first two innings before Pam DelPizzo came on in relief to pitch the third inning. DelPizzo gave up a hit and a run and also walked a batter, and O'Shea entered back into the game in the fourth inning to finish out the game.

In game two, Samford knocked in the first run in the bottom of the second inning when Nicole Bobrowski singled down the left field line to drive in Smith from second base. Elon answered back in the top of the third with a two-run single by O'Shea to take a 2-1 lead.

Elon shut down Samford throughout the remainder of the game, only allowing two more hits in the sixth inning. The Phoenix scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to walk away with the 7-1 win. They scored on an RBI-single by Hannah Shelton in the fourth, a three-run home run by Lafferty in the fifth and a lead-off homer by Emerald Graham in the sixth.

Shaffer, Bobrowski and Dykes each had a hit for the Bulldogs. Bobrowski (2-8) also took the loss, giving up four earned runs on 11 hits in 4.1 innings. She allowed three walks and struck out one batter. Emily Waters pitched 2.2 innings and gave up one earned run on two hits and allowed one walk.

Nester led Elon at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs while DelPizzo and Kaitlyn Piazzolla each went 2-for-3 with a run. Six other Phoenix players had a hit in game two including Shelton, Watson, Graham, O'Shea, Lafferty and Jackie Gonzalez.

Lauren Taylor (11-7) earned the win, fanning five batters and giving up just one earned run on one hit in five innings. Kari Pervell pitched the final two innings, giving up two hits and striking out one batter.

The Bulldogs and Phoenix will face off in the rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday will also be Hoover Softball Association Day.