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HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Samford University baseball team only trailed Southern Miss by a pair of runs, 4-2, heading into the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday, but then the homestanding Golden Eagles tallied four runs on three hits in the frame, including a three-run homer from Tim Lynch to secure an 8-2 series-opening victory held at Pete Taylor Park.
 
The teams, which had their Friday night opener postponed due to rain, will close out the three-game series Sunday with a pair of nine-innings contests. The first game of the doubleheader is slated to begin at 1 p.m. (CDT).
 
With Saturday's loss, Samford (8-6) moved to 1-3 in road games this season. The Bulldogs were limited to four hits in the setback, with both of their runs being scored on a two-run homer to left field off the bat of junior Heath Quinn.
 
Quinn, the nation's leader in home runs (9), RBI (28) and total bases (58) this season, powered his two-run shot in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Southern Miss (12-3), which boasts a near-perfect 8-1 record at home this year, answered with a two-run homer of its own in the bottom of the frame, as leadoff hitter Dylan Burdeaux placed one over the wall in left field to give the Golden Eagles a 4-2 advantage. Southern Miss would close out the game with six unanswered runs.
 
Samford's Jared Brasher (1-3) started the game on the mound and allowed his first earned runs of the 2016 campaign. Brasher, the Bulldogs' junior hurler from Pell City, Alabama, surrendered four scores on only four hits, but walked eight hitters. He tallied three strikeouts and finished the contest with a 2.30 earned run average on the season.
 

Samford's Tanner Cunningham proved to be a huge highlight in Saturday's outing for the Bulldogs.
 
Cunningham, a junior from Birmingham, Alabama, came on in the fourth inning and pitched four full innings of no-run baseball. Cunningham faced 13 hitters, only allowed a pair of hits, didn't walk any and notched a trio of strikeouts. He has still not allowed an earned run this season.
 
Offensively, Quinn paced Samford with his ninth home run of the year and a pair of RBI. The Bulldogs also received base hits from T.J. Dixon, Danny Rodriguez and Frankie Navarrete. Hunter Swilling scored a key run and drew the first walk of the season allowed by Southern Miss starting pitcher Cord Cockrell (3-0).
 
Cockrell has been tough to face this season and boasts a 1.73 ERA on the year. On Saturday, he pitched seven full innings and only allowed a trio of hits.
 
The Golden Eagles' Burdeaux finished 3-for-3 at the plate, while Jake Sandlin and Lynch both tallied a pair of hits apiece.
 
Samford's weekend series at Southern Miss is scheduled to resume Sunday at 1 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs and Golden Eagles will play a doubleheader to close out the three-game set here at Pete Taylor Park.
 
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