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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team tallied eight hits Tuesday, but couldn't get any rallies started offensively as the Bulldogs dropped an 8-2 non-conference decision against the Alabama Crimson Tide in their final midweek contest of the season held at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
 
"It's always tough to lose, but I thought there were some good things tonight that we can take from this game, as well as some things that we can learn from," said Samford head coach Casey Dunn. "We had some guys do some positive things out there, but we also have some guys who need to check themselves a little bit and make some adjustments in their approach, because we're in the stretch run of the season right now."
 
With the loss, Samford (30-23) suffered its first defeat since May 8 and had its four-game winning streak snapped. The Bulldogs also lost on the road for the first time in nearly three weeks and moved to 6-1 when playing away from home since April 18.
 
Alabama (31-21) extended its winning streak to four-consecutive games and is playing some of its best baseball of the season. The Crimson Tide recently traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and snatched a three-game series sweep from the Razorbacks over the weekend.
 
Samford and Alabama split its annual home-and-home series. On April 26, the Bulldogs earned a clutch 3-2 triumph over the Crimson Tide as true freshman Ben Carrick blasted a key two-run, walk-off homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
On Tuesday, Alabama garnered the early momentum of the game as the Crimson Tide pushed across five runs in the first two innings of play. Senior Georgie Salem hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first frame, while he and Cobie Vance both tallied RBI singles in the second inning to provide Alabama with its 5-0 lead.
 
Both Salem and Vance finished the game with identical 3-for-5 performances at the plate. Salem drove in four runs and scored a run as Vance added three RBI with a run scored as well.
 
Alabama finished the contest with eight runs on 12 hits.
 
Samford scored both of its runs in the top of the third inning as senior catcher Richard Greene led off the frame with a deep home run over the left-field wall. The round-tripper proved to be Greene's sixth of the 2016 campaign.
 
Later in the inning, the Bulldogs' Hunter Swilling drilled a line-drive double into the gap in right-center field. Then, on the next pitch from Alabama starting pitcher Brock Love, Samford's Heath Quinn powered a double high off the wall in left-center field. Quinn's RBI upped his school-record total on the season to 67.
 
The Bulldogs' Danny Rodriguez recorded a 2-for-4 outing at the plate Tuesday for the team's lone multi-hit performance of the game. Samford's T.J. Dixon, Jordan Fucci and Jared Watson also tallied base hits against the Crimson Tide.
 
In pre-planned fashion, the Bulldogs sent nine pitchers to the mound. True freshman Connor Radcliff (3-4) started the game, while Jared Brasher, Caleb Maggio, Jake Greer, Josh Rich, Tristan Widra, Jack Rude, Wyatt Burns and Connor Burns all earned action on the hill.
 
Radcliff struck out five Alabama hitters in only two innings Tuesday, but he allowed five earned runs on five hits and was issued the loss. The Bulldogs' Jake Greer notched a pair of strikeouts as he overcame an inning-opening single in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Crimson Tide's Colton Freeman (1-0) was awarded the win. He tallied three strikeouts in three innings and only allowed a single hit.
 
The Samford University baseball team will next be in action Thursday at noon (CDT) as the Bulldogs play a series-opening doubleheader against the VMI Keydets on the opening day of a three-game Southern Conference set to be held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
"Weather's going to be an issue and something that's definitely going to be in play this week," Dunn said. "It's going to be a tough weekend for our guys and we need to find a way to get a little energized before VMI comes to town and we play Thursday's doubleheader."
 
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