May 10, 2012

Box Score

BOONE, N.C. ---- Samford softball ended its SoCon Tournament run in heartbreaking fashion, as they came out on the losing end of a tough 6-5 game against UNCG Thursday.

Samford (15-42) battled with UNCG (23-33) all day, as the Bulldogs fought back from an early deficit to tie the game in the fourth, gave up the go-ahead run and then had the potential tying run in scoring position in the final inning. Robyn Harmon (5-12) was a workhorse for the Bulldogs in the circle, as the senior threw a season-high 145 pitches in her final career game over 7.0 innings giving up six runs, though only three were earned, with eight strikeouts. Shelby Scott provided the power in Samford's lineup, blasting two home runs good for four RBI. Her two homers ties the SoCon Tournament single-game record. In the end however, the Spartans outlasted the Bulldogs with reliever Cory Mattson (14-17) earning the win, pitching 3.2 innings with only one earned run.

In the top of the first, UNCG loaded the bases on a very close "safe" call at second with one out. A hard ground ball made it into the grass on an infield error, scoring two to put UNCG up 2-0 early with runners at the corners. A strikeout and a groundout limited the damage though, as the Bulldogs got out of the half-inning down two runs.

An error and another close call at second on a fielder's choice put two on with one out for the Spartans in the top of the third. A slow roller in the next at-bat took a bad hop past short, going in the books as an error with a run crossing the plate to push UNCG up 3-0. After a strikeout with runners at the corners, UNCG's Dominique Madruga dropped a single into right field, plating another to put the Spartans up 4-0.

Samford's bats started to find a rhythm in the bottom of the fourth, as two singles put runners at the corners with only one out. Abby Adams pushed an RBI single into the right field gap, bringing home one to make the score 4-1. Scott followed with her first hit of the tournament, launching a long bomb that cleared the tall right-field fence as the three-run homer tied the game at 4-4. That ended the day for UNCG starter Erica Navarette, as they turned to Mattson, who closed out the inning with back-to-back groundouts.

The Spartans didn't waste any time retaking the lead, as back-to-back doubles in the top of the fifth gave them a 5-4 lead with one out. Dickey made a heads-up play in the first pitch of the next at bat, as she caught the runner trying to steal third to make it two outs with the bases empty. Harmon froze the final batter looking, closing out the half-inning with a strikeout.

In the top of the fifth, Harmon earned a two-out single and Alex Adams followed that with one that dropped between two defenders in shallow center, allowing Harmon to move all the way to third and Adams to advance to second on the throw. Misha Aldridge was walked to load the bases for Abby Adams, though the Spartans got out of the inning as Adams was on top of a ball on a 2-2 count, grounding out to the pitcher with Samford still trailing, 5-4.

With two on and one out in the top of the sixth, UNCG hit a hard RBI single to center field, plating one with the middle runner tagged out trying to advance to third to make it 6-4 with two outs and a runner at second. The next batter put a little too much into it, hitting it right to Arica Dykes in left to end the threat.

Scott led off the bottom of the sixth with her second home run of the game, as she put one over the fence in left center to draw the Bulldogs within one, down 6-5. Casey Clark followed that with a single that just stayed fair down the right field line and then Caroline Seay, pinch running for Clark, was sacrificed over to second by Rachel Bickert. A lineout and a groundout stranded Seay at second however, preventing the Bulldogs from tying the game.

Despite having thrown 120 pitches in 6.0 innings, Harmon was given the ball to try and get the Bulldogs out of the top of the seventh unscathed. The senior pitched a great inning, allowing a hit but getting three outs to give the Bulldogs a chance in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Aldridge was walked and Abby Adams singled, putting two on base for Scott. The freshman put a ball halfway down the first base line, but a close flip at the bag had her called out as Samford suffered the tough 6-5 loss to end the season.