Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Samford and Western Carolina split two games in a Saturday double-header, as the Bulldogs took the first game, 5-1, while the Catamounts bounced back for a 6-2 victory in game two.
 
Samford (10-16, 2-6 SoCon) earned 17 hits between the two games, led by Abby Adams who went 4-8 on the day, earning three of those hits in the game-one victory including a RBI single for the first score of the game.  Kayla Shaffer also batted .500, going 3-6, while Alex Adams and Caitlin Bice each drove in a pair of runs.
 
Western Carolina (10-19, 2-6 SoCon) struggled defensively, committing a combined five errors between the two games, but the bats came alive in game two as they scored six runs, including a three-run homer by Amber Steinhardt.
 
GAME ONE: SAMFORD 5, WESTERN CAROLINA 1
 
In the opening game, an early three-run cushion helped back up a quality performance by Shelby Scott (1-4) in the circle, who went the distance allowing only one earned run off five hits and no walks.  Abby Adams went 3-4 on the day, driving in the opening run, while Bice and Alex Adams accounted for the other four RBI.  Taylor Sigmon (0-5) threw 6.0 innings for Western Carolina, taking the loss with two earned runs off nine hits.
 
Abby Adams got the scoring started in the bottom of the first, as a bases-loaded single through the left side drove in the game's opening run.  Later in the inning with two outs, Bice hit a ground ball to the Western Carolina first baseman who attempted the field the putout herself but was too late to the bag, as Bice was safe while two runs scored to make it 3-0 Bulldogs.
 
Western Carolina would not get a hit until the fourth inning and avoided the shutout in the top of the fifth as Shemekia Scotton hit a two-out solo home run to cut Samford's lead to 3-1.  The Bulldogs added some insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth off a bases-loaded single to the right-field gap by Alex Adams, scoring two to move the lead to 5-1.  The Catamounts would get a two-out single in the bottom-half of the inning but a force out at second base on a ground ball immediately afterwards ended the game and secured the Samford victory.
 
GAME TWO: WESTERN CAROLINA 6, SAMFORD 2
 
The Catamount bats came alive in game two, as Caitlin Bice (0-2) took the loss after 2.2 tough innings, allowing five runs, three earned, off six hits.  Misha Aldridge would only allow one additional run in 4.1 relief innings but the hole was too deep for the Bulldog offense to climb out of.  Jordan Garrett (8-8) earned the complete-game victory for Western Carolina, striking out six with eight hits and one earned run.
 
Western Carolina fired the game's opening shot in the second inning, as a fielding error with two in scoring position allowed both runners to score, making it 2-0.  The Catamounts made it a five-run game with two outs in the third inning off a three-run homer by Steinhardt, ending the day for Bice in the circle as Aldridge entered in relief.  The final batter would ground out on the second pitch of the at-bat, but the damage was done as the Bulldogs were in an early five-run hole.
 
Samford made a comeback bid in the fourth inning, as Aldridge drove in the runner from second off a single into center field, advancing to second on the throw to put two runners in scoring position with only one away.  Caroline Wilder followed with a single that dropped just fair down the left-field line past third base, scoring Abby Adams from third but holding Aldridge at second.  A Kayla Shaffer single would load the bases but no more Bulldogs would score in the inning as Western Carolina held on to a 6-2 lead. 

Samford had the potential tying run on deck in the seventh inning but a lineout to first ended the game as Samford could not complete the comeback.

The series rubber match is set for a 1 p.m. start tomorrow afternoon at UAB Softball Field.