Box Score TAMPA, Fla. ---- A huge sixth-inning rally at the plate propelled Samford Softball to a big season-opening win over FAU as the Bulldogs defeated the Owls, 7-1, at the USF-Wilson DeMarini Tournament.
 
Six of Samford's nine starters earned at least one hit Friday.  Madison Dickey and Caroline Wilder each went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Callie Brister and Misha Aldridge each went 1-3 with two RBI.  Starter Mollie Hanson (1-0) went the distance with a great performance in the circle, throwing 93 pitches allowing only three hits and one earned run with seven strikeouts.
 
Taylor Fawbush (0-1) took the loss for FAU in the circle while Alexa Ballard drove in their only run with an RBI double in the top of the seventh.
 
The Eagles went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first and Dickey, getting her first career start in right field, knocked a leadoff single up the middle for the Bulldogs' first hit of the season.  A double play and a flyout ended the inning however as the game remained scoreless.
 
Neither team could muster another hit until the top of the fourth, when FAU second baseman Melissa Martinez spoiled Hanson's no-hit bid by dropping a single into left field with one out, though Martinez was tagged out trying to extend it to a double.  A groundout ended the top of the fourth as the teams remained deadlocked in a scoreless tie.
 
Samford's offense broke out for a huge sixth inning as the Bulldogs batted around the order, pulling ahead 7-0.  Hannah Taylor opened up the inning with a leadoff single as Julianne Surane came in to pinch run for the freshman.  Megan Dowdy, pinch-hitting for Arica Dykes, followed that with a single down the left-field line to put two speedsters on the bags for the Bulldogs.  Kayla Shaffer reached safely on a fielder's choice, though FAU failed to get anybody else out as the bases were now loaded.  Turning back to the top of the order, Dickey blasted a single down the right-field line to score the first run of the game, moving Samford up 1-0.  Abby Adams then reached safely on a fielder's choice, though Dowdy was tagged out at home as the bases remained loaded with one out. 
 
Alex Adams came to the plate and drove a single through the right side moving Samford up 2-0 as the bases remained loaded.  Brister extended the lead even further with a two-run single to the left-field gap, advancing to second on the throw to put two runners in scoring position with one out, leading 4-0.  An RBI single by Wilder brought another one home and put runners at the corners with the Bulldogs now leading 5-0.  Aldridge then cleared the bases with a two-run double to make it 7-0.  Two groundouts finally stopped the bleeding for FAU as the Bulldogs came out of the big inning with a seven-run lead.
 
FAU avoided the shutout in the top of the seventh, as a one-out double scored the runner from first, making the score 7-1.  However it was too little, too late for the Owls as Hanson struck out the final batter to cap the big 7-1 win for Samford.
 
Tomorrow, Samford will play two games starting with a showdown against the Marshall Thundering Herd (0-2) at 1:30 p.m. ET.  Marshall lost both of its games Friday, falling to #15 Michigan, 6-1, and #12 South Florida, 8-0, as USF's Lindsey Richardson threw a five-inning no hitter for the Bulls.  The Bulldogs' second game Saturday will be against the host USF Bulls (1-0) at 6:15 p.m. ET.