ARLINGTON, Texas – The Samford University softball team dropped a pair of tough losses to a pair of teams from the State of Texas on Saturday, March 12, at Allan Saxie Field.

The Bulldogs (11-10) offense started out the day white-hot against No.25 Texas (16-3) as the team posted four runs in the top of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, junior Abbie Miranda knocked a two RBI single to right field to score seniors Callie Brister and Megan Dowdy.

Freshman Hannah Trombley doubled Samford's lead with a two RBI double to score Miranda and Abby Sweeney.

The Longhorns bounced back in a big way as they scored seven-runs in the bottom of the first to immediately retake the lead, one that they would not release.

The 25^th-ranked team from Austin posted the seven runs on six hits off redshirt senior Mollie Hanson and a pair of Bulldogs out in the field.

Despite the deficit the Bulldogs continued to fight and scored a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to close down the Longhorns lead to 7-6. Brister recorded an RBI single to score Miranda while Dowdy followed up with the same to score Lexie Higgins.

Texas gained back their three-run lead and then some in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Longhorns struck for three runs.

In the top of the seventh, Higgins and the Bulldogs made one last run to topple the Top 25 team as she smashed a two-run home run to bring the score to 10-8.

In game two of the day the Bulldogs managed to manufacture one run which crossed in the top of the first on a SAC fly by Dowdy that scored Brister from third. Brister reached in her leadoff at-bat with a triple

The Mavericks struck back in the bottom of the second inning to post a pair of runs and take a 2-1 lead. From that moment UTA posted five more runs over the next four innings.

Samford returns to action tomorrow to face another Top 25 team in No.18 Arizona at 9 a.m. CST and will face UT Arlington in a rematch to conclude the Maverick Classic at 11 a.m. CST.