Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford junior pitcher Alex Ledford pitched 8.0 strong innings to lead the Bulldog baseball team to a 9-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe in the first game of a three-game series Friday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
The win was the seventh-straight for the Bulldogs. Samford improves to 9-4 with the win, while ULM falls to 7-7.
 
Ledford (3-0) allowed three runs, just one earned, on seven hits, while striking out nine batters to earn the win. Andres Gracia pitched the final inning, recording two strikeouts, to seal the win.
 
For Samford at the plate, Brandon Powell went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Tripp Martin went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Damon Waller went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Heath Quinn and Drew McWhorter had two hits each.
 
For ULM, Kodie Tidwell went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Josh Leone (1-2) took the loss on the mound for ULM, pitching 4.1 innings in relief, giving up six runs, four earned, on seven hits.
 
ULM jumped on top first with two runs in the top of the third inning. Tidwell singled to left field to drive in Jeff Fuller for the game's first run. Dalton Herrington scored the inning's second run when Chet Simoneaux reached base on a fielder's choice for a 2-0 Warhawk lead.
 
Samford tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Powell singled up the middle to start the rally. With one out, Martin hit a home run to right-center field to tie the score at 2-2.
 
The Bulldogs took the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Caleb Bryson singled with one out, and later scored when Powell singled to right field for a 3-2 Samford lead.
 
The Warhawks tied the score with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Keelin Rasch scored when Cody Stone was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the score again at 3-3.
 
Samford took the lead again with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Quinn singled to drive in Martin for the first run of the inning. Waller later doubled down the left field line to drive in Hunter Swilling and McWhorter for a 6-3 Samford lead.
 
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Samford added three runs to push its lead to 9-3. Powell doubled to right field to drive in Waller for the inning's first run. Powell and T.J. Dixon later scored on an error for a six-run Samford lead.
 
Samford and Louisiana-Monroe will continue their series with a game Saturday afternoon. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start from Joe Lee Griffin Field.