GAME 1 BOX SCORE (PDF)

GAME 2 BOX SCORE (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford softball team swept a doubleheader with Alabama A&M Wednesday at the Samford Softball Field. Samford won the first game, 6-3, and then took game two by a score of 9-1 in five innings.
 
"I don't think this was the cleanest softball we played this year, but they picked each other up," Samford head coach Mandy Burford said. "I was really proud of both freshmen pitchers (McKenna Gillespie and Emily Barnett) to stand in there and do the job they did. The hitting came along and the defense was pretty good tonight."
 
In game one for Samford, Kathryn Jackson went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Shelby Maze went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Kelsey Royalty went 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Whitney Hinton homered, going 1-for-4 with an RBI.
 
McKenna Gillespie (2-7) earned the win in the circle for Samford. She pitched the complete 7.0 innings, giving up three runs, just one earned, on six hits.
 
For Alabama A&M, Ariel Smith went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Tamia Lee-Barbadillo went 2-for-4 at the plate. Imani Largin (1-4) pitched 6.0 innings, allowing six runs on 11 hits to take the loss for the visiting Bulldogs.
 
Samford plated a run in the first inning and two more in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. After Alabama A&M put a run on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning, Samford added two more in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 5-1.
 
Samford plated one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning to push its lead to 6-1. Alabama A&M scored two final runs in the top of the seventh inning to make the final score 6-3.
 
In game two for Samford, Royalty went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Madison Couch went 2-for-3 with a triple, while Maze went 2-for-3 and Ashlyn Barnes went 2-for-2 with two RBI.
 
Emily Barnett (1-1) picked up her first collegiate win for Samford. She pitched 5.0 innings, giving up one run on three hits in the contest.
 
Alabama A&M was led in game two by Lee-Babadillo, going 1-for-2 with a home run and one RBI. Rachel Sanders (2-5) took the loss, tossing 3.2 innings, allowing nine runs on 11 hits.
 
Samford plated a run in the first inning and another in the second to take an early 2-0 lead. Alabama A&M came back with one run of its own in the top of the third inning to cut the Samford lead to 2-1.
 
Samford broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the final score 9-1. Samford sent 12 batters to the plate, and the team managed eight hits in the inning.
 
With the sweep, Samford's record moves to 9-23 on the season. Alabama A&M falls to 9-11 with the losses.
 
Samford will open Southern Conference play at ETSU this weekend. The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday at 12 p.m. (CT), and a single game Sunday, also at 12 p.m. (CT).