GREENVILLE, S.C.—Samford junior second baseman Zeth Stone hit a two-out, three-run triple in the top of the 10^th inning to lift the Bulldog baseball team to its first-ever Southern Conference title with a 9-6 win over Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon at Fluor Field.
 
“It was fitting that Zeth Stone got the big hit,” Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. “After the tough day he had defensively, you had to figure that if anything was right in the world, he'd be the one to deliver that hit. He came through at a big moment. I couldn't be prouder of him and the mental toughness he showed to come through and get that big hit.”
 
With the win, Samford earns its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. The Bulldogs will find out who and where they play at the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which will air Monday at 11 a.m. (CT) on ESPNU. Fans who would like to celebrate with the team can meet at the Victory Flag on campus Monday at 10:30 a.m. The team will then watch the selection show in the Hospitality Room in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
Ticket information for the regional will be released on SamfordSports.com on Tuesday with anticipation of tickets being on sale to the general public by noon on Tuesday.
 
“We've taken a lot of big steps in the last few years, but we've never gone to the NCAA Tournament,” Dunn said. “This is a special group of kids who took advantage of the shot we were given.”
 
For the game, Stone was 4-for-6 with four RBI to lead Samford at the plate. Saxon Butler went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Brandon Miller went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while C.K. Irby went 2-for-4 at the plate.
 
“I had to pick the team up,” Stone said. “I saw a pitch I could hit and I turned on it.”
 
Irby (5-1) earned the win, pitching 4.0 innings in relief, giving up one unearned run on two hits and striking out three batters. Starting pitcher Josh Martin pitched 6.0 innings, allowing five runs, only three earned, on six hits.
 
Martin was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Martin was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Irby, Stone, Austin Allison, Phillip Ervin and Miller.
 
Samford entered the bottom of the ninth inning with a 6-5 lead. GSU's Garren Palmer singled to lead off the inning. Ben Morgan then pinch ran for Palmer and moved to second base on an error by Stone. Morgan then moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Burrus. Morgan scored on a sacrifice fly by Brent Pugh to tie the game and force extra innings.
 
In the top of the 10^th inning, Miller was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Miller then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Irby. After Christiaan Durdaller walked and Allison popped up, Tommy Corbin walked to load the bases. Stone then hit an 0-1 pitch into the right-field corner to drive in Miller, Durdaller and Corbin to give Samford the 9-6 lead.
 
Irby retired Georgia Southern in order in the bottom of the 10^th inning to close out the win.
 
For the game for Georgia Southern, Burrus went 2-for-4 with two RBI. T.D. Davis drove in two runs in a 1-for-5 performance. Palmer and Eric Phillips also had two hits each for Georgia Southern.
 
Georgia Southern's Jarret Leverett (4-2) pitched 2.0 innings in relief, giving up three runs on two hits to take the loss. Chris Beck started the game on the mound for the Eagles, pitching 1.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits. Justin Hess and Kyle Rowe also saw time on the mound for GSU.
 
Samford struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning. Stone singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ervin for the game's first run. Miller later singled to right field to drive in Brad Moss for a 2-0 Samford lead.
 
Georgia Southern answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the first inning to cut the Samford lead to 2-1. Scooter Williams walked to lead off the inning. Williams later scored on a ground out by Chase Griffin.
 
Samford added two runs in the top of the second inning to make the score 4-1. Tommy Corbin singled with one out, and Moss walked with two outs in the inning, Butler then doubled to right-center field to drive in Corbin and Moss for a three-run Samford lead.
 
Georgia Southern scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the Samford lead to 4-3. Phillips reached base on an error and later scored on a single by Davis for the first run of the inning. Griffin singled and came around to score on a ground out by Burruss for the final run of the inning.
 
Samford came back with two runs in the top of the sixth inning to push its lead to 6-3. Miller singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a single by Durdaller for the inning's first run. Stone later singled to drive in Durdaller for a three-run Samford lead.
 
Georgia Southern plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to close to within one run at 6-5. Phillips led the inning off with a single and later scored on a ground out by Davis. Burruss then singled to drive Griffin for the final run of the inning.
 
The win was Samford's school-record 39^th of the season, improving the Bulldogs' record to 39-21. Georgia Southern ends its season with a record of 33-27.