EASTERN ILLINOIS GAME BOX SCORE (PDF)
TENNESSEE STATE GAME BOX SCORE (PDF)
OXFORD, Ala. – The Samford softball team earned a 1-0 win over Eastern Illinois, and then dropped a 10-9, nine-inning decision to Tennessee State on the final day of the Leon Smith Classic Sunday at Choccolocco Park.
In the win over Eastern Illinois,
Grey Adams pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just five hits, and recording eight strikeouts.
Abby Sweeney led Samford at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a home run and one RBI.
Madison Couch,
Lauren Lewis and
Kelsey Royalty had a hit each for the Bulldogs.
For Eastern Illinois, Jessica Wireman tossed 6.0 innings, giving up one run on four hits to take the loss for the Panthers. Taylor Monahan, Mia Davis, Mady Poulter, Ashlynne Paul and Amber Toenyes had one hit each for EIU.
The teams battled through the first five innings of the contest in a scoreless tie. Sweeney led the bottom of the sixth inning off with a solo home run, her second of the season, to give Samford a 1-0 lead.
Adams held Eastern Illinois scoreless in the top of the seventh inning to preserve her fourth victory of the season.
In the loss to Tennessee State,
Abbie Miranda went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Shelby Maze went 3-for-4, while Couch, Royalty and
Whitney Hinton had two hits each. Adams (4-6) pitched the final 3.1 innings, giving up three runs, just two earned, on four hits to take the loss for Samford.
For Tennessee State, Kim Tice went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Selena Crafton went 4-for-6 with two RBI, including driving in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Lauren Powell (4-5) pitched the last 3.0 innings, giving up no runs on one hit to pick up the win for the Tigers.
After Tennessee State jumped on top early with two runs in the bottom of the second inning, Samford took control of the game with four runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth inning. In the third inning, Miranda drove in two runs, while
Kathryn Jackson drove in one run and Hinton scored on an error. In the fourth inning, Sweeney, Miranda,
Lauren Lewis and Jackson drove in a run each for an 8-2 Samford lead.
The Bulldogs added one more run in the top of the fifth inning to make the score 9-2. Hinton singled to drive in Royalty for a seven-run Samford lead.
Tennessee State, however, came back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a three-run home run by Trice to cut the lead to 9-5. The Tigers added two runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh to knot the score at 9-9 and force extra innings.
In the eighth inning, neither team could score. After Samford went through a scoreless top of the ninth inning, TSU's Crafton singled to drive in Erica O'Kane, who had been placed on second base to start the inning, to give the Tigers a 10-9, walk-off win.
With the split, Samford's record moves to 7-17. Eastern Illinois is now 11-11, while Tennessee State has a record of 7-15.
Samford will return to action on Tuesday, March 14, when the Bulldogs host Western Kentucky. The game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start from the Samford Softball Field.
