Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Updated Stats

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- The Samford University baseball team split a road doubleheader against the Western Carolina Catamounts on Saturday as the Bulldogs dropped the opener, 10-9, but then earned a 5-1 victory in the Southern Conference nightcap held at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.
 
Samford (29-23, 13-7 SoCon) freshman Samuel Strickland (7-2) turned in the best outing of his young, up-and-coming collegiate career in game two. The Bulldogs' hard-throwing lefty tallied nine strikeouts and only allowed a total of four hits in the victory.
 
Western Carolina (7-41, 5-18 SoCon) scored its lone run of the contest in the bottom of the ninth inning as Spencer Holcomb notched a solo home run.
 
Samford's Brooks Carlson also posted a round-tripper in the matchup giving the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Carlson finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in the contest. In both games, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, is hitting a combined .400 (4-of-10) with five RBI and a stolen base.
 
The Bulldogs scored another run in the second inning, then added two more in the top of the fifth when Taylor Garris and Troy Dixon both crossed the plate. Garris finished the contest 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs scored.
 
After tacking on another run in the sixth stanza, Samford led 5-0 as Strickland continued to work his magic on the mound en route to the decisive 5-1 triumph. His complete-game outing proved to be the Bulldogs' first nine-inning performance of the season.
 
Samford pounded out 10 hits in the victory as Branden Fryman and Ayrton Schafer both added two-hit outings. Fryman, Samford's sophomore starting shortstop, drove in a pair of runs from his leadoff spot in the batting order as he now has 20 on the season.
 
The Bulldogs' Anthony Mulrine and Ryan Crockett both added key hits in the victory.
 
Western Carolina was able to barely hang on for a 10-9 win in the first game of the doubleheader. Samford trailed 10-7 heading into the top of the ninth inning when Carlson singled to drive in a pair of runs and trimmed the Catamounts' advantage to one run.
 
The Bulldogs then had runners on the corners with one out in the inning, but Western Carolina's Zach Franklin was able to escape the jam and register his second save of the season.
 
Runs were scored early and often in Saturday's opener. After four innings of action, the Catamounts held a 7-6 advantage. Western Carolina's Will Prater and Justice Bigbie both tallied three-hit performances in the contest. Bigbie scored twice and drove in a pair of runs, while Prater also crossed the plate twice and notched an RBI.
 
The Catamounts added runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings, as Samford tacked on a run in the seventh frame, before nearly mounting the come-from-behind victory in the ninth.
 
The Bulldogs' Dixon finished a perfect 3-for-3 in the opener and reached base all six times in the game. He was joined by Carlson, Schafer and Crockett with multi-hit performances. Samford's Max Pinto, Fryman and Garris also added hits in the game.
 
The Bulldogs and Catamounts will square off in the rubber game of this weekend's series Sunday at noon (CT) right here at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.
 
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Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Updated Stats