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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team handed the Alabama State Hornets their first loss in two weeks Tuesday as the Bulldogs notched a decisive 13-3 home victory in a key non-conference contest held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
"This was a good win for us," said Samford head coach Casey Dunn. "We were able to let a lot of our younger guys get out there and get some work. I told them after the game that this was a really quality win against a good team and that we need to take some of this momentum and get ready for a very big weekend series at Western Carolina."
 
With the victory, Samford (19-14) extended its current winning streak to three-consecutive games and improved to 6-1 against in-state opponents this season. Dating back to April 7, 2015, the Bulldogs have been victorious in 10 of their last 11 games versus teams located in Alabama.
 
Samford has also been triumphant in seven of its last 10 outings this season.
 
The Bulldogs will next be in action Friday at 4 p.m. (CDT) as they begin a huge three-game road series at Western Carolina. The Catamounts enter the upcoming series as the first-place team in the Southern Conference with a near-perfect 8-1 league record.
 
Alabama State (23-13) suffered its first loss since March 30 and had its seven-game winning streak snapped. The Hornets were swept by Samford this season and were outscored by the Bulldogs, 31-10.
 
"Alabama State is a very good team and we just seemed to have their number this year," Dunn said. "They are a tremendous baseball team with really good players and I don't care what league you're in, if you can be 15-0 and not lose a game, then you're a quality team."
 
Samford's Mikhail Cazenave (1-1) started Tuesday and hurled two scoreless innings, while earning the victory. Cazenave only allowed a pair of baserunners in the contest and struck out a two Hornets.
 
The Bulldogs sent nine pitchers to the mound and only allowed three earned runs on seven hits. Samford finished the game with eight strikeouts.
 
Samford garnered an early 2-0 lead by scoring a run in both the second and third innings. In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs used a grand slam from Hunter Swilling to register a five spot and take a decisive 7-0 advantage over Alabama State.
 
Samford true freshman Jordan Fucci opened the inning with a towering home run to left field. Fucci, the Bulldogs' highly-touted native of Lexington, Kentucky, finished 3-for-5 at the plate, scored two runs and added an RBI, while registering his first career homer.
 
Following Fucci's inning-opening blast, senior Danny Rodriguez drew a walk and then sophomore Ben Carrick ripped a double to left field, his second of the game. Carrick, Samford's talented catcher from Norcross, Georgia, went 2-for-2 at the dish with a run scored and an RBI. He also threw out both runners who attempts to steal a base on him.
 
"I thought Carrick really played a great game tonight," Dunn said. "He went 2-for-2 and did a really nice job behind the plate. Grant (Colton) also came in and did a good job for us defensively back there too. Jordan had a great day as well and really got some big hits. I was pleased with all of those guys and the effort they gave tonight."
 
Still in the fourth inning, following T.J. Dixon's third walk of the game to load the bases, Swilling powered a home run deep and high over the fence in left field. As soon as it left the bat, the bomb was definitely a no-doubter as far as distance was concerned, and it also stayed fair over the wall before hooking foul.
 
Swilling finished Tuesday's game with six RBI and went 2-for-4 at the plate. The home run proved to be his eighth of the season.
 
As a team, Samford has hit three grand slams this season with two of them coming against Alabama State. Sophomore Austin Edens powered a grand slam in the Bulldogs' 18-7 victory in Montgomery on March 15.
 
Following the Bulldogs' five-run performance in the fourth inning, they tacked on four more in the fifth, as well two additional runs in the seventh.
 
Samford pitcher Parker Curry came in to bat in the seventh inning and roped a two-run double off the wall in left field. Last season, Curry pinch hit against Alabama and hit a home run.
 
"The question actually is why don't we let Parker hit more," said Dunn. "He's a really good hitter and if he wasn't our best pitcher, then he'd be playing somewhere every day in the field. I also thought Damon (Waller) had a couple of very good at-bats and Gonzo (Anthony Gonzalez) didn't have any luck, but had a really nice line drive that just happened to be right at the guy at first base. It was good to get those guys some quality at-bats tonight."
 
The Bulldogs' Heath Quinn, Damon Waller and Troy Dixon also tallied base hits Tuesday against Alabama State.
 
The Samford University baseball team will next be in action Friday at 4 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs travel to Cullowhee, North Carolina, for a huge three-game weekend series against the first-place Western Carolina Catamounts.
 
Following Friday's series opener, the teams are slated to compete in the second game Saturday at 1 p.m., before closing out the road series Sunday at noon.
 
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