Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Samford University softball team advanced to the third round of the Southern Conference tournament after a split on day two of action. The No.4 seeded Bulldogs dropped the first game of the day to No.1 seed Georgia Southern University 3-0 then bounced back immediately to eliminate No. 6 seed Western Carolina University 7-3.

The Bulldogs (38-17) will take on the No. 2 seed University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at 9 a.m. CDT.

GAME ONE (Samford 0, Georgia Southern 3)
The Eagles (35-19) jumped out in front early 1-0 with a little bit help from some small ball after leadoff batter Taylor Rodgers reached on a single to second base; Rodgers advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Emily Snider. Kourtny Thomas eventually scored Rodgers from second on an RBI base hit through the left side.

Samford attempted to make a push to put runs on the board in the following at bat. Junior Abby Adams was just a few feet shy of tying the game with a long single that hit off the top of the wall in center field and sophomore Callie Brister followed up to reach base after being hit by a Sara Purvis .

Purvis, the SoCon Pitcher of the Year, worked herself out of the jam and struck out the next two SU batters to end the inning.

Georgia Southern solidified its' lead in the third when the Eagles picked up a hit and a walk to lead off the inning. The two GSU runners advanced to second and third after a wild pitch from Samford starting pitcher Mollie Hanson.

Morgan Robinson drove in one run with an RBI single back up the middle of Bulldog defense and Kaitlyn Johnson knocked in the second run on a fielder's choice to second base.

Freshman Rebecca Leonard came in relief of Hanson in the fourth inning and shut down the Eagles offense and kept them off balance the remainder of the game. Leonard tallied five strikeouts while only giving up a solo hit and two walks.

The Bulldogs managed five hits in the contest with Adams, Brister, Megan Dowdy, Shelby Scott and Caroline Wilder each notched a hit against Purvis.

GAME TWO (Samford 7, Western Carolina 3)
Samford bounced back in a big way to take the second game of the day and eliminate the Catamounts from the tournament.

Hanson received the nod to pitch in the second game and went the distance to pick up her 24^th victory of the year. Hanson dealt out seven strikeouts and scattered five Catamount hits in the effort.

The Bulldogs struck first and plated six runs in the top of the second inning off of four hits. Sophomore Caitlin Bice put the exclamation point on the scoring effort with a three-run home run that was lined over the wall in right field.

Bice ended the day perfect from the plate (2 for 2) with two walks, three RBI and a run scored.

Dowdy recorded her 65^th hit of the season to break fellow teammate Madison Dickey's single-season record which she set back in 2012 to bring in the first Bulldog run of the game.

The Catamounts responded in the bottom of the frame to cut the Bulldogs lead down to 6-3 but after that Hanson settled into a groove and shut down the WCU offense.

Samford tacked on an insurance run in the seventh inning as Bice drew a leadoff walk to start the inning, senior Arica Dykes pinch ran and immediately stole second base before being brought home on a Rachel Bickert RBI single through the left site to make the game 7-3.