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LEXINGTON, Va. -- The Samford University baseball team used a pair of long-distance home runs from Kevin Williams, Jr., as well as a five-RBI performance from the Bulldogs' leftfielder Sunday to defeat the VMI Keydets in a critical Southern Conference series-clinching 9-8 victory held at Gray-Minor Stadium.
 
Following Williams, Jr.'s second home run of the afternoon, this one a three-run shot well over the wall in left field, Samford (18-10, 2-1 SoCon) held an 8-2 advantage over VMI (13-15, 2-4 SoCon) heading to the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
Williams, the Bulldogs' talented leftfielder from Miami, Florida, turned in a 2-for-5 outing Sunday, with both of his hits finding the base of the cliff well beyond the left-field wall. With his five-RBI outing, Williams upped his team-leading totals in the categories to 10 home runs and 22 RBI on the season. He entered the weekend ranked No. 15 in the nation in home runs.
 
VMI, despite trailing by six runs with two innings to play, made things interesting down the stretch.
 
The Keydets scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the eighth and then added two more in the bottom of the ninth to make the score 9-8 with only one out.
 
Following Peyton Maddox's two-run homer to left-center field, the bases were empty with one out and Samford's Wyatt Burns on the mound. Burns entered the game with 11 saves on the season, a total that led the nation in the category.
 
Burns was able to get Collin Fleischer to line out to right field for the second out of the inning, and then forced Jake Huggins into a two-strike grounder to shortstop for the final out of the game.
 
Samford's 9-8 victory proved to be its seventh one-run triumph of the season. Additionally, Burns upped his nation-leading total in saves to 12. He tallied two strikeouts in the final 1.2 innings of the contest.
 
The Bulldogs' Stephen Jones started the game on the mound and turned in a solid outing. He only allowed one run on four hits and held a 2-0 advantage after four full innings of action. Jared Brasher (2-0) then came on for Samford and pitched the next three frames. He struck out six Keydets and earned the victory with his performance.
 
VMI's Mason Adamson (0-2) was saddled with the loss Sunday. He allowed three runs on three hits in a total of two innings.
 
Samford's offense rattled off 13 hits in the victory. Sophomore second baseman Troy Dixon paced the squad with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate, while Branden Fryman, Jordan Fucci and Williams all turned in key two-hit performances.
 
The Bulldogs' T.J. Dixon, Anthony Mulrine, Taylor Garris and Austin Edens also added base hits in the win. Garris' hit proved to be his first college home run, a solo blast to left field in the fourth inning. Samford's true freshman third baseman made a number of great defensive plays in the game and added a pair of RBI.
 
T.J. Dixon also added an RBI on Sunday. The Bulldogs' senior centerfielder has now reached base safely in 27 of the team's 28 games this season.
 
VMI's Jacob Jaye was moved to the leadoff position prior to the game and responded with a 4-for-5 performance at the dish. He added an RBI and two runs scored.
 
The Samford University baseball team will next be in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs return home to Birmingham, Alabama, for a nonconference contest against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs to be held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
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