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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team scored a pair of runs in the final three innings of play Wednesday to defeat the Troy Trojans, 4-3, in a nonconference showdown held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
With the win, Samford (13-8) remained dominant at home this season and improved to 10-3 when competing in the friendly confines of The Griff. The Bulldogs also avenged Tuesday's loss on the road at Troy (12-8) to split the annual home-and-home series at 1-1.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday, Samford trailed the Trojans, 3-2. The Bulldogs' Taylor Garris dropped down a bunt single to third base with one out in the inning and later advanced to second base on a balk from Troy's Corey Childress.
 
Samford's T.J. Dixon, who finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and run scored, then shot a run-scoring single into left-center field to scored Garris all the way from second base. His run evened the score of the game at 3-3 as he closed out the contest with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
 
Samford's game-winning run Wednesday occurred in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
Troy Dixon rifled a one-out single to left field. Later on, with Ayrton Schafer batting, Dixon broke towards second base for a stolen base. On the play, Troy's pitcher Ryan Fultz (0-1) thought he had Dixon picked off at first, but airmailed the throw well over Justin Friends' outstretched arms and into the corner in right field.
 
Dixon, who's one of the fastest guys on Samford's squad this season, quickly make his turn at second base following the throwing error and powered around third to barely slide under the tag of Troy's catcher, Chase Smartt, for the game-winning run.
 
With a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth inning, Samford brought in Wyatt Burns to pitch for the Bulldogs and he shut down the Trojans in order. Burns, who leads the nation in saves this season, earned his career-high ninth this year. Last year, the Bulldogs' junior native of Pinson, finished the campaign with eight saves.
 
Samford's Josh Rich (1-0) earned the victory as the pitcher of record in the eighth inning when Dixon sped around the bases for the game-winning run. He retired all three batters that he faced in the top of the frame.
 
The Bulldogs' Cody Shelton started on the hill and turned in a solid outing. He hurled five full innings and only allowed three earned runs on five hits. He tallied five strikeouts in the performance.
 
Senior Jared Brasher came in for two innings and only allowed one hit, while striking out four Trojans.
 
Along with Samford's outstanding hitting performances from T.J. Dixon and Taylor Garris, the Bulldogs also received hits from Kevin Williams, Jr., Austin Edens, Troy Dixon and Jordan Fucci.
 
The Samford University baseball team will next be in action this weekend as the Bulldogs travel to Lawrence, Kansas, for a three-game nonconference showdown against the Kansas Jayhawks. The teams are slated to play Friday at 6:05 p.m. (CT), Saturday at 2:05 p.m., and Sunday at 12:05 p.m.
 
Last season, Samford played host to Kansas for a three-game set held in Birmingham and won the first all-time series between the teams, 2-1. The Bulldogs were victorious in the first two contests, 3-2 and 13-9, before coming up short in the third game, 9-5.
 
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