BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A pivotal five run first inning turned out to be a major factor as the Samford University softball team fell 13-8 to the University of Mississippi at the Samford Softball Field on Wednesday, April 8.

The Bulldogs (27-14) gave up three doubles, five walks and a grand slam in the first two innings of play to fall behind 7-2 to the Rebels (23-17). Sophomore pitchers Rebecca Leonard (3-3) and Grey Adams tossed a combined two complete innings before Jessica Stone entered the circle to stifle the Ole Miss offense for three solid innings.

Samford's offense surged in the fourth and the fifth innings to plate six runs and close down Ole Miss' lead to 9-8. Abbie Miranda and Megan Dowdy scored in the fourth for the Bulldogs on a pair of Rebel errors on a Shelby Maze bunt while Brister drove in Maze on a sacrifice fly to left field to bring the score to 8-5.

Ole Miss tacked on a run to go up 9-5 in the top of the fifth on a disputed solo home run Alyssa Invergo to start the inning.

The Bulldogs continued to rally and plated three more runs to close down the Rebels lead to 9-8 and capture the momentum of the game. Freshman Karsin Spinks drove in senior Abby Adams and junior Caitlin Bice on a sharply hit double to left center field. Pinch runner Caroline Seay scored later in the inning on sacrifice fly by Dowdy to left field.

The Rebels struck again in the top of the sixth with its third home run of the night to recapture the momentum and push its lead back out to 10-8. Ole Miss went on to plate three more runs in the seventh inning to secure the decision.

Dowdy recorded her 66^th hit of the season after going 1-for-3 at the plate and is now just one hit shy of tying the single-season hits record she set at the end of the 2014 season.

Brister went 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBIs in the contest.

Ole Miss finished the night with three home runs and seven doubles and left seven runners stranded on base while Samford picked up a pair of doubles from Spinks and Dowdy but left a total of eight Bulldogs stranded by the end of the contest.

The Bulldogs return to Southern Conference action this weekend as the team travels to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on Western Carolina University in a three-game series.