BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University baseball team dropped an 8-4 decision to the 20^th-ranked Auburn Tigers Tuesday evening at The Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
 
With the loss, Samford falls to 24-26 on the season. Auburn improves to 36-16 with the win.
 
Samford was led at the plate by Maurice Hampton Jr., going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Colton Ledbetter and Blake Bortak had two hits each for the Bulldogs. Kaden Dreier, who's only at-bat was a pinch hitting appearance in the ninth inning, homered and drove in two runs in that lone at-bat. Samford tallied 11 hits as a team, but left 12 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the first and fifth innings.
 
Cole Fryman (0-1) pitched 1.1 innings, giving up five runs on five hits to take the loss. Samford used nine pitchers in the game, with Mason McCormack, Jalon Long, Timmy Watkins, Gene Hurst, Drew Byers, Dominic Ganley, Jacob Newman and Garrett Brown all seeing time on the mound.
 
For Auburn, Nate LaRue went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Kason Howell went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Tigers. Carson Skipper (5-2) earned the win on the mound for Auburn, tossing 2.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits.
 
Samford jumped on top first with two runs in the top of the first inning. With two outs in the inning, Ledbetter singled, Stephen Klein walked and Will David was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hampton then singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Ledbetter and Klein for a 2-0 Samford lead.
 
Auburn answered with five runs in the top of the second inning to take a 5-2 lead. Garrett Farquahar drove in two runs, while LaRue, Brody Moore and Sonny DiChiara drove in a run each to give the Tigers and three-run lead.
 
The Tigers added three runs in the top of the seventh inning for a six-run lead. LaRue doubled to drive in two more runs and Howell also drove in a run for an 8-2 Auburn lead.
 
In the top of the ninth inning, Samford's Dreier, pinch hitting for Hampton, hit a two-run home run to left field to make the final score 8-4.
 
Samford will wrap up its regular season by hosting Mercer in a three-game Southern Conference series, beginning Thursday. The teams are scheduled to play Thursday at 4 p.m., Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
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