April 28, 2012

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Samford and Appalachian State both earned comeback wins Saturday, as the teams split a double header with the Mountaineers claiming game one, 8-6, and the Bulldogs winning game two in dramatic fashion, 11-7.

Samford (11-37, 4-15 SoCon) surrendered a six-run lead in game one but came back from a 7-2 deficit in game two, scoring runs in each of the last three innings including a walkoff grand slam by Alex Adams to end it. Saturday was senior day at Bulldog Field as senior Robyn Harmon had a productive day, going 3-7 at the plate including two doubles and three runs. Fellow senior Tessa Frates only had one hit on the day, but she ended up being the game-winning run in game two, leading off the bottom of the seventh with a hard single.

Appalachian State (21-22, 9-12 SoCon) was led by Megan Rembielak, going 4-7 while Caroline Williams led them in RBI, earning four on a pinch-hit grand slam in game two.

Game One: Appalachian State 8, Samford 6

Samford jumped ahead to an early 6-0 lead in game one but Appalachian State fought back, scoring eight unanswered runs to come from behind to win, 8-6. Misha Aldridge went 2-3 on the day, as her first two at bats were both home runs, giving her five RBI. Madison Dickey also earned a pair of hits and runs as well. Harmon started in the circle for the Bulldogs, throwing 115 pitches over 5 1/3 innings but ultimately giving up the game-tying run. Aldridge (5-16) took the loss, giving up two earned runs in relief, while Riley Carter (3-3) earned the win in relief for the Mountaineers, pitching 4 1/3 innings while only allowing one hit.

The Bulldogs started the scoring early, putting two on the board in the bottom of the first. After a leadoff double by Dickey, she advanced to third on a groundout and was forced to stay at third on a shallow popup to left field. Aldridge cleared the bases with a towering home run to left field, her fifth of the season, to give Samford the early lead.

Neither team scored in the second but Samford put up four runs in the bottom of the third to build a substantial 6-0 lead. With two on and two out, Aldridge again approached the plate and, again, sent the ball over the left field fence for a three-run homer to make it 5-0. Abby Adams followed that with a walk and Shelby Scott unloaded with a scorching double to left-center, bringing Adams home to make it 6-0.

The Mountaineers would get on the board in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly and would seriously threaten in the top of the fifth, plating four to draw within one, 6-5. Two RBI singles and a bases-loaded wild pitch scored three in the top of the sixth for Appalachian State, giving them the 8-6 lead, and the Bulldogs were held in check in the bottom of the seventh as Appalachian State held on for the comeback victory.

Game Two: Samford 11, Appalachian State 7

Samford mounted its own comeback victory in game two, winning in dramatic fashion courtesy of a walkoff grand slam by Alex Adams. It is the Bulldogs' second-highest scoring output of the season and snaps a six-game losing skid. The Mountaineers led 7-2 after 4 1/2 innings, but nine unanswered runs and five Appalachian State errors helped give the Bulldogs their fifth conference victory of the season. Seven of Samford's nine starters in the batting lineup earned at least two hits, with Dickey and Harmon earning three. Scott (3-8) pitched 2 2/3 relief innings in the circle to earn the win while game one winner, Riley Carter (3-4), took the loss in game two.

Samford again took the lead first in game two, scoring two in the bottom of the first. Back-to-back singles led off the inning and then Alex Adams laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Dickey and Harmon into scoring position. Aldridge brought home Dickey with an RBI single and Abby Adams brought home Harmon with a sacrifice fly.

The Mountaineers took the lead in the top of the fourth, moving ahead 4-2 courtesy of a pinch-hit grand slam by Caroline Williams. They extended their lead in the top of the fifth as a solo homer, an RBI single and a sacrifice fly gave them a 7-2 lead through 4 1/2 innings.

The Bulldogs would begin to claw away at the lead in the bottom half of the fifth as Alex Adams and Abby Adams both drove in a run, drawing Samford within three, down 7-4. The Mountaineers did their best to help Samford's cause in the bottom of the sixth, as the visitors committed five errors in the inning allowing the Bulldogs to come back and tie the game. Arica Dykes started off the inning with a single and advanced to second on an error and then, following a Caroline Seay single, came home off another fielding error. Dickey drove home Seay on an RBI single but was caught stealing the next at bat. Harmon reached on yet another error, the third of the inning for the Mountaineer first baseman, as she was replaced following that at bat. Harmon advanced on a groundout and came home on an RBI single by Aldridge to the right field fence, tying the game at 7-7.

Appropriately enough on senior day, both Bulldog seniors would end up being the tying and game-winning runs as Frates started off the bottom of the seventh with a single to left center. After a strikeout, back-to-back singles would load the bases for Harmon. She hit a ball into center field, but it was too shallow for Frates to tag up and score, leaving the bases loaded with two outs. With two outs, Alex Adams came through with the biggest at bat of the game, launching a high fly ball to left field which cleared the fence for a walkoff grand slam.

The series rubber match is scheduled for Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m. CT at Bulldog Field.