April 25, 2012

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

MURRAY, Ky. ---- Samford softball fell in two tough games Wednesday, as they dropped a double header at Murray State, 1-0 and 9-1.

Samford (11-36) earned a combined 11 hits between the two games, with Madison Dickey and Abby Adams both earning three. Murray State (26-16) was led by Megan Glosser going 4-7 while Alexa Becker had five RBI.

Game One: Murray State 1, Samford 0

Samford out-hit Murray State, 7-4, in the first game of the double header but the Bulldogs ended up on the wrong side of the pitcher's duel, losing 1-0. Robyn Harmon (3-8) pitched a great game in the circle, allowing only four hits but unfortunately giving up a long ball in the fourth that ended up being the difference. Abby Adams was a perfect 3-3 at the plate, while Alex Adams accounted for a pair of hits as well. CheyAnne Gaskey (5-2) earned the win for the Racers in the circle.

The teams were scoreless through 3 1/2 innings until Murray State's Casey Castile hit a one-out solo homer to left center, moving the Racers up 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth. They would tack on another hit following the home run but consecutive groundouts would end the inning and limit the damage to only one run.

The Bulldogs threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with one out. Murray State starter Gaskey got the Racers out of the jam however, striking out the rest of the side to maintain their lead. In the top of the seventh, Samford got the tying run into scoring position as Caroline Seay led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Bulldogs could not bring her home however, as a flyout and a strikeout ended the game with Samford taking the tough 1-0 loss.

Game Two: Murray State 9, Samford 1 (5 Innings)

A big first inning would put the Racers up early, as they eventually won game two in five innings, 9-1. Shelby Scott (2-8) took the loss, as she allowed five earned runs in the first inning. Dickey went 2-4 at the plate with Casey Clark driving in the Bulldogs' only run

Two tough hits to lead off the bottom of the first had the Racers threatening early and Alexa Becker brought them all home with a high three-run homer to left field to give the home team the early 3-0 lead. The Racers would load the bases with two outs and a walk would bring home another run, moving them up 4-0. That run ended the day early for Scott in the circle, as Misha Aldridge entered the game in relief. After returning to the top of the order, Murray State would bring another run home with a bunt single to go ahead 5-0 but a fly ball in shallow right would stop the bleeding for the third out.

With two runners on and one out in the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs would make it into the run column courtesy of an RBI single by Clark, her first career hit at Samford, scoring Aldridge and moving Rachel Bickert to third. A close out at first on a groundout would end the half-inning however, with Samford trailing 5-1 after 3 1/2.

With two on and two out in the bottom of the fourth, the Racers put an RBI single into right field to plate one run and would score another on a fielding error, moving ahead 7-1. The inning would end with Dickey making a good throw to Abby Adams covering second, catching the Murray State runner stealing.

With two runners on and two out in the bottom of the fifth, Murray State's Becker unloaded a 2RBI triple to give the Racers the run-rule victory, 9-1, in five innings.

Next up, Samford hosts its final home series of the 2012 season as the Bulldogs welcome the Appalachian State Mountaineers for three games. Action begins with a double header on Saturday, April 28 at 1 p.m., which will also be senior day. The series concludes with game three on Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m.