BOX SCORE (PDF)

UPDATED STATS

FULL HIGHLIGHTS

WILLIAMS, JR.'S THROW HOME (WITH SU RADIO CALL)

SCHAFER'S WALK-OFF HIT (WITH SU RADIO CALL)

DUNN POSTGAME INTERVIEW

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Samford designated hitter Ayrton Schafer doubled off the Green Monster in left field to drive in shortstop Branden Fryman to give the sixth-seeded Bulldog baseball team a 5-4 win over top-seeded Mercer in an elimination game in the Southern Conference Tournament Friday afternoon at Fluor Field.
 
With the win, Samford improves to 33-25 on the season. The Bulldogs advance to take on the winner of Friday night's game between VMI and East Tennessee State Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (CT). Mercer ends its season with a record of 39-17.
 
"What an effort by our guys," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "To see the shear excitement and on a bunch of young guys after that win makes it all worth it."
 
Schafer went 2-for-5 with three RBI to lead Samford to the win. In three games so far in the SoCon Tournament, Schafer is hitting .583 (7-for-12) with three doubles and five RBI.
 
"For a freshman to come in here and have the quality at-bats he's had and drive the baseball is awesome to watch," Dunn said. "To put that swing on the baseball at that moment, and really what he's done in three games in the tournament, is awesome."
 
In addition to Schafer, Fryman went 3-for-4 at the plate. Anthony Mulrine homered, going 2-for-4 with an RBI for Samford. T.J. Dixon and Taylor Garris also had two hits each for Samford.
 
Wyatt Burns (5-1) pitched the final 2.0 innings, giving up no runs on four hits to pick up the win on the mound for Samford. Stephen Jones started the game for the Bulldogs, tossing 3.2 innings, giving up three runs, just two earned, on five hits. Josh Rich threw 3.1 innings in relief, allowing one run on one hit.
 
For Mercer, J.T. Thomas went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Ryan Hagan hit a two-run home run in a 1-for-5 performance. Alex Crotty and Trey Truitt had two hits each for the Bears. Robert Broom (8-2) took the loss on the mound, tossing 2.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits.
 
Mercer jumped on top first with two runs in the top of the third inning. Thomas singled to drive in Hanson and Truitt for a 2-0 Mercer lead.
 
Samford came back with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-2 lead. Schafer doubled down the left field line to drive in Dixon and Garris to tie the score. Austin Edens then singled up the middle to drive in Schafer to give the Bulldogs the lead.
 
The Bears answered with two runs to take the lead again at 4-3 in the top of the fourth inning. Crotty singled with one out, and Hagan then homered to left field to give Mercer the lead back.
 
Samford tied the score with a run of its own in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mulrine led the inning off with a home run to left field to knot the score at 4-4.
 
Mercer had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth inning. Truitt singled to left field with two outs, but Samford's Kevin Williams, Jr. made a perfect throw home and Mulrine made the tag on David Posas to end the inning with the score still knotted at 4-4.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Fryman reached base on an infield single. Schafer then hit an 0-1 pitch to the wall in left field to drive in Fryman and give the Bulldogs the win.