FULL GAME NOTES (PDF)

SAMFORD HOSTS ELON IN WEEKEND SOCON SERIES
Samford Softball returns home this weekend for the first conference series at Samford Softball Stadium, hosting the Elon Phoenix.  The three-game series begins with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 20 and concludes with a single game on Sunday, April 21 at 1 p.m.

OPPONENT SCOUTING REPORT
Elon (14-26, 4-11 SoCon) - The Phoenix have struggled in SoCon play so far this season, winning their first conference series by taking two of three from Western Carolina last weekend at home.  The source of their struggles has largely been the pitching, which ranks last in the SoCon with a 4.33 team ERA.  The offense has compensated for poor pitching at times, led by senior Tomeka Watson, who has become one of the premiere hitters in the entire conference.  The Jackson, Ga., native leads the SoCon in every slash line category with a .467 batting average, .559 on base percentage and .900 slugging percentage.  She also is the team leader in hits (56), home runs (14) and RBI (31).

ALL-TIME VERSUS ELON
Samford holds a winning all-time record against Elon, defeating them in nine of their 14 meetings.  Twelve of those contests have come as conference foes in the SoCon, with Samford winning three of the four regular-season series.  The Bulldogs have never swept the Phoenix however, winning two out of three games in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

BAKER BOMBS FOR FIRST TIME IN CAREER
Samford hit a combined three home runs in Thursday's doubleheader at Georgia State, but none was more impressive than Madeline Baker's solo shot in the sixth inning of game two.

Not only was it the senior's first career home run as a Bulldog, but it was in her first official at-bat of the 2013 season.  Prior to Thursday, she had appeared in 11 games so far this season, scoring three runs and stealing a base as a pinch-runner.


COMEBACK BID FALLS SHORT AS 'DOGS FALL IN ATLANTA
Samford fell in a pair of two-run losses to Georgia State Thursday night, as a late comeback bid in game two fell just short.
 
Samford (11-30) would knock in a combined eight hits in the game, with three of those being home runs.  Alex Adams accounted for one of those homers with three hits in six at-bats.  The Georgia State (29-16) offense would earn 15 hits between the two games with Lauren Coleman driving in three of the team's nine runs.

Samford would jump out to an early 1-0 lead in game one but would be held scoreless from that point on, ultimately falling 3-1.  Shelby Scott (2-12) took the loss in the circle, making her fourth-consecutive start, while Katie Worley (11-9) would earn the complete-game win for the Panthers.

In game two, Samford made a late comeback bid in the top of the seventh, scoring two but the deficit proved too large to overcome as they eventually fell, 6-4.  The Bulldogs had two home runs in the game, one by Alex Adams in the second and one by Baker in the sixth, her first career long ball in what was also her first at-bat of the season.  Caitlin Bice (0-6) threw 1.1 innings with only two of the six runs allowed going as earned runs, but took the tough loss in the circle.

WEEKEND WEATHER OUTLOOK
Birmingham, Ala.
Saturday, April 20
Sunny - High: 66, Low: 43
Sunday, April 21
Mostly Sunny - High: 71, Low: 49

UP NEXT
Samford plays their final road SoCon series of the season with a trip to face the Chattanooga Mocs.  The three-game series begins with a 1 p.m. ET doubleheader on Saturday, April 27 and will conclude with a single game on Sunday, April 28 at 1 p.m.