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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team scored four runs on four hits Friday and tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the visiting ETSU Buccaneers closed out the contest with three runs in the final two frames to tally a 7-4 win in the teams' Southern Conference opener held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
In the loss, Samford (10-13, 0-1 SoCon) received a pair of home runs from true freshmen Brooks Carlson and Blaine Smith. The blasts provided some power for the Bulldogs and helped shift the momentum of the game after ETSU (12-6, 1-0 SoCon) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with two runs in the first and two more in the fourth.
 
Carlson's homer in the bottom of the fourth inning made the score 4-1, while Smith's drive in the fifth trimmed the Buccaneers' lead to 4-3. Smith's home run proved to be the first of his young, up-and-coming collegiate career.
 
Samford tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning as sophomore Ayrton Schafer led off the stanza with a key double down the right-field line. He later scored from third base as Branden Fryman dropped down a perfectly-placed sacrifice bunt to the catcher.
 
In the next half inning, ETSU took advantage of a trio of walks to score two runs.
 
With two outs and the bases loaded, leftfielder Ben Jackson placed a single through the left side of the infield that drove in both Cullen Smith and Hunter Parker. The Buccaneers would later tack on a run in the top of the ninth inning to increase their lead to 7-4.
 
Samford's Cody Shelton started the game on the mound and allowed four runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings pitched. The Bulldogs' Josh Rich (0-3) then entered the contest and was saddled with the tough-luck loss as he gave up one earned run on one hit in 1.2 innings of action.
 
Samford also sent Hamp Skinner, Wyatt Burns, Billy Creger and Jack Rude to the mound Friday.
 
The Bulldogs' offensive attack was paced by Smith, Carlson, Schafer and Max Pinto, who all registered hits in the matchup.
 
ETSU's James Giambalvo (3-0) came on in relief in the seventh inning and ended up earning the victory on the mound. He struck out two and didn't allow a hit in 2.2 innings of action.
 
The Buccaneers' Caleb Longley went 4-for-5 at the plate with four RBI, while Jackson turned in a 3-for-5 performance and Cade Gilbert finished 2-for-4.
 
Samford and ETSU will square off in the second game of this weekend's series Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT) at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
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