TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Colton Ledbetter homered twice to lead the Samford baseball team to a 7-4, 10-inning win at 11^th-ranked Florida State Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium.

"Obviously excited for our guys and our program," Samford head coach Tony David said. "Wins against nationally ranked competition are hard to come by. Even tougher on the weekends. Florida State may have the best staff in the nation. We battled our tails off today."

With the win, Samford improves to 5-2 on the young season. The win was Samford's first over an ACC opponent since defeating the then-seventh-ranked Seminoles, 7-6, in the first game of the 2018 NCAA Tallahassee Regional. Florida State falls to 5-2 with the loss.
 
Ledbetter went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI to lead Samford at the plate. Will David went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Kaden Dreier homered and drove in two runs in a 1-for-5 performance at the plate.

"We have said all along we have to be really good on defense this year," David said. "Our guys put on a clinic in the field all series. To have 35 assists in two games without an error is mind-boggling. Big plays, great decisions in really big situations. KD's (Kaiden Dreier;s) caught stealing in the ninth may have saved us."
 
Carson Hobbs (1-0) earned the win on the mound for Samford, pitching 3.0 innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits, and striking out four batters. Jalon Long started the game on the mound for Samford, and Timmy Watkins also saw time on the mound for the Bulldogs.

"Jalon didn't have his change today for the first time in a while and his velo wasn't his best," David said. "I went out to reset his mind really early in the game. We were confident they couldn't hit him and to stay on the attack. He really settled in."
 
For Florida State, James Tibbs and Jaime Ferrer both homered. Tibbs went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Ferrer went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Jonah Scolaro (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the Seminoles, tossing 2.0 innings, giving up three runs on three hits.
 
Florida State struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan Carrion reached base on an infield single to drive in Tibbs for a 1-0 Seminole lead.
 
Samford took the lead in the top of the fourth inning when Dreier homered with Ledbetter on base for a 2-1 Samford lead. FSU answered with a two-run home run of its own from Ferrer for a 3-2 Seminole lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
The Bulldogs tied the score in the top of the eighth inning when David scored from third base when Kace Garner grounded into a double play. Samford took a 4-3 lead later in the eighth inning when Ledbetter hit a solo home run to right-center field.
 
In the bottom of the eighth inning Florida State tied the score when Tibbs homered to right-center field, knotting the score at 4-4.
 
The teams went into extra innings with the score still tied at 4-4. In the top of the 10^th inning, Stephen Klein singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Garrett Staton for a 5-4 Samford lead. Ledbetter then homered down the right field line with David on base for a 7-4 Bulldog advantage.
 
Samford will host Alabama State on Wednesday, March 2, at 4 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Admission to the game is free.
 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS
For the latest news and information on Samford baseball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordBaseball (Facebook), @SamfordBaseball (Instagram) and @SamfordBaseball (Twitter).