BOX SCORE: GAME ONE (PDF)
BOX SCORE: GAME TWO (PDF)
 
OXFORD, Miss. –  The Samford softball team opened up day two of the Ole Miss Classic with a 6-5 comeback victory over Saint Louis before dropping an 8-3 decision to Western Kentucky Saturday afternoon at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
 
GAME 1
Final: Saint Louis 5 | Samford 6
 
Saint Louis took the early 2-0 lead in the first inning of play with Gabbie Kowalik doubling down the left field line, eventually making it back home after Kayla Swiderski followed with an RBI single. In the next play, Allie Herron stepped up to the plate with only one out on the board and grounded out to Sarah Squillace at second, advancing Swiderski to third and scoring Sadie Wise.
 
Kowalik found her second hit in the top of the next inning, plating Natalie Sullivan after she singled through the right side. Samford eventually responded in the bottom of the third with Mary Katherine Tedder recording an RBI single, sending a ball up the middle to bring home freshman Sarah Squillace.
 
It would be a scoreless fourth inning, but the Billikens extended their lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth via a leadoff triple and a two-run home run. However, the Bulldogs comeback bid started in the bottom of the sixth with Samford scoring four runs. After a leadoff single from Amanda Briskin followed by a double from MK Tedder, senior Timberlyn Shurbutt knocked one to center field to score Briskin prior to Kolby Holcombe registering an RBI single to close the lead down to 5-3.
 
The rally continued as pinch runner Abigail Dorsett advanced to third with Timberlyn Shurbutt making it home after a Billiken throwing error. With only one out, sophomore Jordan Moore tied the game at 5-5 with a ground out to Saint Louis's Kendall Johnson at shortstop to score Dorsett on third. The winning run came in the bottom of the seventh with Mary Katherine Tedder making it a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with an RBI single to walk it off for a 6-5 Samford victory.
 
Freshman McKenzie Newcomb (6-3), who entered the game in the top of the seventh, earned her sixth win on the season after getting the Bulldogs out of a jam, stranding three on base for Saint Louis. The Meridianville, Ala., native allowed no runs after four batters face while retiring one at the plate.
 
GAME 2
Final: Samford 3 | Western Kentucky 8
 
The Bulldogs earned six hits from Kolby Holcombe (2-3), Sarah Squillace (1-3), Mary Katherine Tedder (1-3), Timberlyn Shurbutt (1-3), and McKayla Cothran (1-2), while the Hilltoppers strung together eight and picked up a win in the circle for Shelby Nunn (8-2) after 6.0 innings pitched.
 
Bailey Curry broke open the scoring and gave Western Kentucky a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second after she homered to left field. It would quickly become a 5-0 game for the Hilltoppers in the bottom half of the next inning. With bases load, Maddie Bowlds battled at the plate for a walk to score Taylor Sanders prior to a Samford throwing error that allowed three additional WKU runs.
 
Mary Katherine Tedder would get the Bulldogs on the board in the top of the sixth with a solo home run out of right center. However, the Hilltoppers responded in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on another Samford error to push their lead to 6-1, while following up with two more runs after Sanders registered an RBI single and Jordan Ridge drove in a run off a fielder's choice.  
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Sarah Squillace double to left field to score McKayla Cothran and Jordan Moore to cut into Western Kentucky's lead, but it would not be enough to kickstart a comeback for the Bulldogs for an 8-3 final decision at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
 
UP NEXT:
The Samford softball team will close out its time in Oxford, Miss., with a single game at 12:30 p.m. against Ole Miss at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford softball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordSports (Facebook), @SamfordSB (Twitter), and @SamfordSB (Instagram).