ORLANDO, Fla. – The Samford University baseball team earned yet another one-run victory, 7-6, over the UCF Knights in the second game of a three-game series Saturday evening at John Euliano Park.
 
Samford is now 7-1 in games decided by three runs or less so far this season. For the year, the Bulldogs improve to 12-8, while the Knights fall to 13-10 with the loss.
 
"Another great job by our guys late in the game tonight," Samford head coach Tony David said. "We keep finding a way in these close games to get one more hit, pitch or play to come out on top. This is a really good series win on the road against a good team."
 
Samford was led at the plate by Towns King, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. Stephen Klein also went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Colton Ledbetter went 2-for-5 with a home run and one RBI. Kace Garner and Kaden Dreier also drove in a run each for the Bulldogs.
 
Michael Ross (2-0) pitched 5.0 innings, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out a career-high eight batters to earn the win on the mound for Samford. Carson Hobbs picked up his fourth save of the season, tossing the final inning, allowing one run on one hit.
 
"Ross did a good job of battling through it early after our three spot," David said. "He found a way to get us to the sixth with quality innings. And we answered offensively after they tied it. It is such a luxury to be left-hand dominant at the top of our order and have all those guys hit left handers so well. Led, Klein and Towns all with great swings."
 
For UCF, Alex Freeland went 2-for-4 with two home runs and two RBI. Cylis Cox (1-1) gave up three runs on three hits without recording an out to take the loss on the mound for the Knights.
 
Samford jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the top of the first inning. Klein singled to center field to drive in Will David and Garrett Howe for the first two runs of the game. Garner later reached on an infield single, driving in Ledbetter for a 3-0 Samford lead.
 
UCF scored a run in the first inning, one in the second inning and another in the fourth to tie the game at 3-3. In the first inning, Freeland hit a solo home run to right field to cut the lead to 3-1. In the second inning, Michael Brooks scored on a single by Ben Rushing to make the score 3-2. Tom Josten homered to right field in the fourth inning to knot the score at 3-3.
 
The Bulldogs took the lead back with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Ledbetter got the scoring started with a solo home run to right field. King doubled to drive in Klein, and King later scored on a ground out by Dreier for a 6-3 Samford lead.
 
In the bottom of the eighth inning, UCF's Brooks and Andrew Sundean both scored on a Samford error to cut the lead to 6-5. Samford added a run in the top of the ninth inning when King doubled to left-center field to drive in Klein to push the lead to 7-5.
 
UCF's Freeland led the bottom of the ninth inning off with another solo home run to cut the lead to 7-6. UCF, however, was unable to score again and Samford came away with the 7-6 victory.
 
Samford and UCF will conclude their series with a game Sunday. The game is set for a 12 p.m. (CT) start from John Euliano Park.


 
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