March 14, 2012

Box Score

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Samford baseball team surrendered five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to squander a four-run lead in a 6-5 loss at Alabama Wednesday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

Samford led, 5-1, heading to the bottom of the ninth inning. Lex Rutledge came in to pitch for the Bulldogs to start the bottom of the ninth. Brett Booth and Jon Kelton got things started for Alabama with back-to-back singles. A.J. Cole then walked to load the bases for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama's Taylor Dugas was hit by a pitch to bring in Booth for Alabama's first run of the inning. Austen Smith then walked to score Kelton to cut the Samford lead to 5-3. Gil Walker then replaced Rutledge on the mound for Samford. Jared Reaves then reached on a Samford error, bringing in Cole to make the score 5-4.

Josh Rosencrans then reached on a fielder's choice to drive in Dugas to tie the score. The game-winning run scored when Ben Moore reached on a fielder's choice to drive in pinch-runner Andrew Miller.

Rutledge (0-1) took the loss on the mound for Samford. He surrendered five runs and walked two batters without recording an out.

Phillip Ervin led Samford at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and an RBI. C.K. Irby went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Brandon Miller also homered, his eighth of the season, in a 1-for-4 performance.

Alabama's Chazz Otwell (1-0) pitched 2.0 innings, allowing one run to earn the win. For Alabama at the plate, Dugas drove in two runs in a 1-for-3 performance. Smith, Reaves, Rosencrans and Moore also drove in a run each for the Crimson Tide.

Samford jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the top of the first inning. Zeth Stone walked to lead off the inning and then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Brad Moss. With two outs in the inning, Miller hit a home run to right field for the first two runs of the game. After a double by Ervin, Irby then singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Ervin for a 3-0 Samford lead.

Alabama plated one unearned run in the bottom of the third inning to cut the Samford lead to 3-1. Booth reached base on a Samford error to lead off the inning. With two outs in the inning, Dugas singled to right field to drive in Booth to pull Alabama to within two runs.

Samford added a run in the top of the sixth inning to push its lead to 4-1. Ervin doubled with one out to get things started. Irby then doubled to drive in Ervin for a three-run Samford lead.

The Bulldogs plated another run in the top of the eighth inning. Ervin hit a solo home run to left field to give Samford a 5-1 lead.

Samford will return to action on Friday when the Bulldogs open a three-game Southern Conference series with Furman at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The teams will play Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.