April 15, 2012

Box Score

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Samford right fielder Brandon Miller hit two home runs, but it was not enough, as the Bulldog baseball team dropped a 10-5 decision in the final game of its three-game Southern Conference series at the College of Charleston on Sunday.

With the loss, Samford drops to 21-15 overall and 10-8 in Southern Conference play. College of Charleston improves to 25-12 overall and 14-7 in league play.

Miller's two home runs give him 14 homers for the season. The 14 home runs lead the SoCon, and the total is among the national leaders in the category as well. Behind Miller at the plate, C.K. Irby went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Zeth Stone and Phillip Ervin had two hits each for the Bulldogs.

Kyle Putkonen (2-5) pitched 3.0 innings, giving up six runs, five earned, on five hits to take the loss on the mound for Samford. Lex Rutledge, Tyler Vanderheiden, Taylor Hammond and Arthur Strauss also pitched in the game for the Bulldogs.

For College of Charleston, Daniel Aldrich went 3-for-5 with two RBI to lead the Cougars at the plate. Brandon Glazer went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Jimmy Holton and Marty Gantt had two hits and an RBI each. Matt Pegler (6-2) pitched 6.0 innings, allowing four runs, two earned, on four hits to earn the win for the Cougars.

Both teams started the game off hot at the plate. Each team scored three runs in the first inning of the contest.

In the top of the first inning for Samford, Brad Moss walked with one out to get things started. Ervin then doubled and Saxon Butler walked to load the bases with one out. With two outs in the inning, Moss scored on a passed ball for the first run of the game. Irby then singled to drive in Ervin and Butler for a 3-0 Samford lead.

College of Charleston answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning to tie the score at 3-3. The Cougars' first run scored when Rob Harding walked with the bases loaded to bring in Gantt. Dre Watts then reached base on a fielder's choice to drive in Bradley Goodson. The game-tying run scored when Glazer singled to drive in Aldrich.

The Cougars took control of the game with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Aldrich drove in two runs in the inning. Gantt, Goodson, Watts and Glazer drove in one run each in giving Charleston a 9-3 lead.

Samford plated a run in the top of the sixth inning to cut the Charleston lead to 9-4. Miller led the inning off with a solo home run to left field to pull Samford to within five runs.

College of Charleston added a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to make the score 10-4. Holton singled to drive in Watts for the Cougars' 10th run of the game.

Samford added one final run in the top of the eighth inning to make the final score 10-5. Miller once again led the inning off with a solo home run to left field for the game's final run.

Samford will play two midweek games against cross-town rival UAB this week. The Bulldogs will play at UAB on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m., and then will play host to the Blazers Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.