BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team plated five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn a dramatic 6-5 win over Alabama State Wednesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
With the win, Samford improves to 6-2 on the young season. Alabama State falls to 3-7 with the loss.
 
Samford trailed, 5-1, going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Towns King singled to right field to drive in Stephen Klein for the first run of the inning. Colton Ledbetter later tripled to left field to drive in King, Garrett Howe and Maurice Hampton to tie the game at 5-5. Ledbetter scored the game-winning run when Andrew Bennett reached base on a fielder's choice.
 
"I'm proud of our guys again tonight," Samford head coach Tony David said. "It's a really special group of fighters. We didn't swing it like we wanted, and we know we can most of the game. And the barrels we were finding were right at them. Their pitchers did a good job of throwing strikes. In the end though we executed in the ninth. We were close in the seventh and eighth innings but needed one more hit. Klein started it with the double and Mo battled with two strikes to get it in play for an infield single. Towns continued his hitting and Ledbetter with a huge triple with the bases loaded, as exciting as it gets in our sport on that play."
 
King led Samford at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Ledbetter went 2-for-5 with a triple and three RBI. Kace Garner and Bennett also drove in a run each for the Bulldogs.
 
"Once again another overall great game by our defense," David said. "There were a couple of plays at the plate that I think we can and will make most of the time. They tacked on one more run in the top of the ninth, but our guys stayed unphased. We use the word composure a lot and the need to keep moving forward to the next pitch or at bat. When it's not going well and the other team is telling you about it, it can be easy to lose composure. I'm excited for how they handle themselves and represent Samford."
 
Alex Goff (1-0) pitched 1.1 innings in relief, giving up one run on one hit to earn the win on the mound for Samford. Brody Westbrooks started the game for the Bulldogs, tossing 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits. Mason McCormack and Dominic Ganley also saw time on the mound for Samford.
 
"Brody did a good job for us after the initial two hitters," David said. "We pitched well enough to have been in command of the game. Mason, Dom and Goff did their jobs in relief to give us a chance to win. I'm excited to get on a victory bus tomorrow morning to head out of town."
 
For Alabama State, Corey King went 2-for-4 with a home run and one RBI. Angel Jimenez went 2-for-3 with a home run and one RBI. Kyler McIntosh (0-1) took the loss for the Hornets, tossing a third of an inning, allowing one run on one hit.
 
Each team plated a run in the first inning as the score was knotted at 1-1. Alabama State scored a run in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth to take a 4-1 lead. The Hornets plated another run in the top of the ninth inning to push the lead to 5-1 and set the stage for Samford's ninth-inning comeback.
 
Samford will play a three-game series at Charleston Southern this weekend. The teams are set to play Friday at 4 p.m. (CT), Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (CT) and Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT) from Charleston, S.C.


 


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