March 24, 2012

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

ELON, N.C. ---- Samford softball split two games on Saturday, March 24, with the Elon Phoenix as they fell 4-1 in game one but bounced back for a 4-3 victory in game two.

Samford (7-23, 1-7 SoCon) earned its first conference win of the season and Shelby Scott earned her first win of the season as well. Misha Aldridge pitched 6.0 innings in game one and 3.0 innings in game two, allowing only one earned run on the day, striking out seven. Madison Dickey was the team's leader in hits, collecting three with Julianne Surane earning two. Elon (17-6, 6-2 SoCon) was led at the plate by their leadoff hitter, Carleigh Nester, going a combined 5-7 with two RBI.

Game One: Elon 4, Samford 1

Aldridge (4-11) only allowed one earned run, but took the loss in the circle for the Bulldogs, throwing 6.0 innings with six hits and four strikeouts. Dickey earned her eighth multi-hit game of the season, hitting two singles, a double and drawing a walk to go a perfect 3-3 at the plate. Erin O'Shea (10-3) earned the win for Elon and their offense was led by Carleigh Nester, going 2-3 with an RBI.

In the top of the third, Alrdridge got the Bulldogs on the board first, as a misplayed infield pop with two outs gave her an RBI single, scoring Dickey from second. Consecutive hits loaded the bases but the Phoenix pitched out of the jam, forcing a popup to left field and limiting the damage to one run.

Elon tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, as a two-out single up the middle brought the tying run home from third and put runners at the corners. A slow grounder was misplayed at third, allowing the runner to score on an error and a single to right field brought another home, pushing the Phoenix lead to 3-1. They scored a third unearned run with a single to right field, but a popup in foul territory to Madeline Baker in right field ended the big inning with Elon up 4-1.

Neither team scored in the remaining innings, as the Phoenix was able to hold onto the three-run lead to earn the win in game one.

Game Two: Samford 4, Elon 3

Samford bounced back for a tightly-contested game two victory, as the Bulldogs edged out the Phoenix 4-3. Scott (1-3) earned her fist victory of the season, pitching 4.0 innings with two earned runs on five hits. Aldridge came in relief in the fifth inning, pitching 3.0 innings to earn the save. Samford was led at the plate by Surane, going 2-4, while Scott, Frates and Dykes earned the team's three RBIs. Kari Pervell (2-1) took the loss for Elon while Nester and Tomeka Watson both earned three hits, combining to go 6-7 with three RBI.

Elon produced the game's first run in the bottom of the third, as a two-out single with a runner on third gave them the early 1-0 lead. Samford answered in the top of the fourth, taking a 3-1 lead. Scott got the scoring started with a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing home Abby Adams from third to tie the game. Madeline Baker, pinch running for Aldridge at first, stole second and an RBI single by Tessa Frates gave Samford the 2-1 lead. With Frates advancing to second on the throw, the Phoenix catcher made an errant throw into center field, allowing Frates to come all the way home, pushing the Bulldog lead to 3-1.

Arica Dykes blasted a long solo homer to straightaway center in the fifth inning, the first of her Samford career, to put the Bulldogs up 4-1. An error and a single put runners at the corners with two outs, as Pervell left the game after 4.2 innings of work with four runs, three earned, and six hits allowed. O'Shea, the starter from game one, came in relief and got the Phoenix out of the inning.

Elon cut the Samford lead to 4-2 with a leadoff single followed by a double in the bottom of the fifth inning. After the next batter was hit by a pitch, Aldridge came in relief for Scott in the circle. Aldridge pitched the Bulldogs out of potential trouble, as consecutive groundouts and an infield pop fly ended the inning, stranding the two runners on base and preserving Samford's two-run lead.

The Phoenix would score a run in the bottom of the sixth, as a bases-loaded infield single cut the Bulldogs' lead to one run, 4-3. Surane grabbed an unassisted putout at second to get Samford out of the inning with the lead, as they looked to add some insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Samford put a runner on base in the top of the seventh but could not get anyone across the plate. With the potential tying run at second base in the bottom of the seventh, a lineout to Frates at third ended the game, giving the Bulldogs the one-run victory and Aldridge the three-inning save.

Samford concludes the three-game series at Elon tomorrow at noon CT.