Feb. 26, 2012

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. - The Samford baseball team earned an 8-7 win over the South Alabama Jaguars Sunday afternoon at USA's Stanky Field. With the win, Samford takes the series over South Alabama, two games to one.

With the win, Samford improves to 6-2. South Alabama falls to 2-5 with the loss.

Samford was led in the game by Brad Moss with a three-run home run and four RBI in a 1-for-4 performance. Brandon Miller drove in three runs, going 1-for-3 with a double. Phillip Ervin went 2-for-4 for the Bulldogs.

Josh Martin (2-0) pitched 5.0 innings, giving up six runs, five earned, on seven hits to earn the win. Martin struck out eight batters and allowed three walks. Taylor Hammond got the final out of the game to earn his first save of the season. Samford used seven pitchers in the game.

For South Alabama, Nolan Earley went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Jordan Patterson went 2-for-4, while Kevin Knapp drove in two runs in a 1-for-4 performance at the plate. Dillon Buhrkuhl (0-2) pitched 3.0 innings, giving up seven runs on six hits to take the loss for the Jaguars.

Samford jumped on top first with a run in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Zeth Stone walked to lead off the inning, and then moved to second base on a single by Ervin and third base on a ground out by Saxon Butler. Miller then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Stone for the game's first run.

South Alabama came back to take the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Earley doubled and Nick Zaharion walked, and both runners later scored on a wild pitch to give the Jaguars a 2-1 lead.

The Bulldogs tied the game with a run in the top of the second inning. Christiaan Durdaller led the inning off with a double, and then moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Tommy Corbin. Durdaller then scored when Moss grounded out to second base to make the score 2-2.

Samford took control of the game with five runs in the top of the third inning. Ervin reached base on an infield single to lead off the inning. Butler then doubled to right-center field and Ervin moved to third base. A wild pitch brought Ervin home for the first run of the inning, while Butler advanced to third base.

Miller then hit another sacrifice fly to drive in Butler for a 4-2 Samford lead. With one out in the inning, Durdaller walked and Corbin singled to right field. Moss then homered to left field, his first of the season, to give Samford a 7-2 lead.

The Jaguars came back with two runs in the third inning and another in the fourth to cut the Samford lead to 7-5. Brent Mitchell and Knapp drove in a run each in the third inning. In the fourth inning, after Taylor Nichols reached base on an error, Earley doubled to drive in Nichols to bring the Jaguars to within two runs.

Each team plated a run in the sixth inning to make the score 8-6. In the top of the inning, Stone singled to lead off the inning. Stone later scored on a double by Miller. South Alabama's sixth-inning run was scored by Earley when Zaharion reached base on a Samford error.

The Jaguars plated a run in the bottom of the ninth to cut the lead to 8-7, but Samford was able to hold on for the one-run win.

Brad Hook and Patterson both walked to start the inning. Drew Cofield then singled to load the bases with no outs. Knapp then singled to right-center field to drive in Hook to cut the Samford lead to one run. Michael Gunter then came into the game for Samford and struck out Hunt Griffith and Nichols. Hammond then relieved Gunter and got Earley to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

Samford will next be in action on Tuesday, when the Bulldogs play at Troy. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Riddle-Pace Field.