Box Score MACON, Ga. – The Samford University softball team took to the field for the first time of the 2014 season against Eastern Kentucky University and walked away with a 5-3 victory on Friday, Feb. 7, at the Mercer Invitational. The Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure the win.

Junior Mollie Hanson (1-0) picked up her first win of the season lasting seven innings with five strikeouts and only allowing two earned runs. Leanna Pittsenbarge (0-1) was charged with the loss for EKU.

Eastern Kentucky (0-1) threatened early in the bottom of the first inning after Nicole Heitz (1-for-3) singled to Hanson and a fielding error by Abby Adams put EKU runners on first and second. Hanson remedied the situation striking out Lauren Mitchell (0-for-3) to end the inning.

The Bulldogs (1-0) struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead over the Colonels. Junior Madison Dickey (0-for-3) drew a lead-off walk, senior Arica Dykes relieved Dickey to serve as a pinch runner; Dykes acted quickly, stole second and eventually was brought home by sophomore Hannah Taylor's (1-for-3) RBI single to left field.

SU did not stop there. Taylor advanced to third after sophomore Callie Brister (1-for-4) was gunned out at first; she was then subbed for Rachel Bickert who came in as a pinch runner.  Junior Abby Adams (1-for-4) shortly after singled down the left field line to score the second run of the inning for Samford.

EKU responded in the bottom of the fourth to even the score 2-2. The Colonels started the inning off in the same fashion as the Bulldogs as Lauren Mitchell (0-for-3) drew a lead-off walk. Mitchell then scored on Shannon McQueen's (2-for-4) RBI double to right center field. McQueen scored two batters later on a Krislyn Campos (1-for-2) single to right field.

The dramatics did not pick back up until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Colonels loaded the bases with two outs. With two strikes and a ball as the count, Hanson forced a pop-up to Adams at shortstop for the final out to send the game into extra innings.

Samford took advantage right away as the Bulldogs plated three runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure a 5-2 lead. Sophomore Megan Dowdy (1-for-4) drove in the first two on a two RBI single to center field. Brister crushed an RBI single down the left field line that extended the lead out to three.

Eastern Kentucky did not go away quietly as the Colonels forced a walk from Hanson and an eventual passed ball scored Christina Ciolek (0-for-4) to close the gap to the final score of 5-3.

The Bulldogs return to the field later today, at 2:30 p.m. (CT) to face the host institution Mercer University in the Mercer Invitational.