BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After locking in its second-straight sweep, the Samford softball team will hit the road for a weekend series against Furman with a Friday doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. followed by a 11 a.m. single game on Saturday at Pepsi Stadium.
 
The Bulldogs officially tied the best start to SoCon play since joining the league back in 2009 after bringing out the brooms to sweep Western Carolina this past weekend. Samford swept the doubleheader from the Catamounts with 5-0 and 8-0 victories on Saturday prior to a 4-1 win on Sunday to close out the weekend. The Bulldogs logged 17 runs on 26 hits, smacking six doubles and three home runs, while registering 17 RBIs throughout the three games. With the wins, Samford improved their overall record to 21-14, 6-0 (SoCon) to be one of two teams that remain undefeated in Southern Conference play.
 
Furman enters the series with an overall record of 14-22, 2-4 (SoCon) with the Paladins coming off a midweek doubleheader split against Charleston Southern. Furman left South Carolina with a 3-2 win and 5-4 loss after the Buccaneers edged the Paladins in game two. In Southern Conference play, Furman has dropped weekend series to both Chattanooga and Mercer, finding only one win against the Mocs and Bears, respectively. The Paladins are led offensively by senior standout Emily Bartlett with the California native recording 20 runs on 29 hits for nine doubles, one triple and four home runs, while driving in a team-high 20 runs at the plate.
 
BY THE NUMBERS:
 
After 35 contests, Samford is hitting .274 as a team with 20 home runs, 148 runs scored on 262 hits and 130 RBIs. The team is slugging .384, holds a .342 on-base clip and has swiped 30 bases on 38 attempts.
 
COVERAGE:
 
This weekend's action will be available to watch on ESPN+, while fans can also follow along via live stats. Coverage links are available on the Samford softball schedule page, https://samfordsports.com/sports/softball/schedule.
 
SERIES HISTORY:

• Furman slightly leads the all-time series over Samford, 29-26, despite the Bulldogs earning a 6-4 record in the past 10 matchups. Samford secured the series win last season, beating Furman by final decisions of 11-6 and 4-1.

 
BULLDOGS TO WATCH:

• Senior Mary Katherine Tedder earned SoCon Player of the Week honors for her performance against Wester Carolina this past weekend. Tedder knocked a team-high five hits in nine plate appearances for an impressive .556 batting average. Four of the five hits were two-bag shots, putting Tedder at the top spot in the SoCon doubles category with 15 on the season.
• Freshman McKenzie Newcomb also snagged league honors, being tabbed SoCon Pitcher of the Week after finding two wins in the circle against the Catamounts. The Merdianville, Ala., native posted a 0.82 ERA after giving up just one earned run on five hits in 11.0 innings of work. Newcomb also registered seven strikeouts for a total of 120 this season.

 
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).