Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Samford baseball team dropped a 6-4 decision in the final game of a four-game series with Youngstown State Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
The Bulldogs won the first three games of the season-opening series, giving the Bulldogs a record of 3-1. Youngstown State falls to 1-3.
 
“It was a good weekend, but it could have been a great weekend with a little better execution today,” Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. “Baseball is a crazy game and the guy on the mound can make a huge difference, and I thought their starter was really good today. He was the difference in the game.”
 
Youngstown State's Patrick O'Brien (1-0) pitched 6.0 strong innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out four Samford batters to earn the win for the Penguins. Samford starting pitcher Patrick McGavin (0-1), making his debut with the Bulldogs, pitched 5.0 innings, allowing three runs, just two earned, on five hits.
 
For Samford at the plate, C.K. Irby went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Tommy Corbin went 2-for-4 for the Bulldogs, while Frankie Navarrete and Christiaan Durdaller drove in a run each.
 
Youngstown State's Mike Accardi and Drew Dosch had two hits each to lead the Penguins at the plate. Kris Moules drove in two runs for YSU, going 1-for-4 with a double.
 
Youngstown State jumped on top right off the bat with a run in the top of the first inning. Devin Higgins scored the game's first run when Moules reached base on a Samford error to give YSU a 1-0 lead.
 
Samford came back to tie the game with a run in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs in the inning, Phillip Ervin doubled to start the rally. After Ervin moved to third base on a balk, Irby doubled to right-center field to drive in Ervin and tie the score at 1-1.
 
The game remained tied until Youngstown State plated two runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 3-1 lead. Moules doubled down the left-field line to drive in Dosch for the inning's first run. Marcus Heath then tripled to center field to drive in Moules for a two-run YSU lead.
 
The Penguins plated three more runs in the top of the eighth inning to push their lead to 6-1. Moules walked with one out and later scored on a Samford error for the inning's first run. Phil Lipari then singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Kevin Hix to make the score 5-1. Josh White later scored from third base on a sacrifice fly by Padraic Williams for a five-run Youngstown State lead.
 
Samford came back with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut the lead to 6-4, but the Bulldogs could get no closer. Durdaller doubled to drive in Corbin to make the score 6-2. Brandon Haarer then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 6-3. Durdaller then scored from third base on a ground out by Navarrete to pull Samford to within two runs.
 
Samford will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 19, when the Bulldogs play host to Alabama A&M. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Joe Lee Griffin Field.