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Nelson_Mercer
6
Mercer MER 9-22, 0-3 SoCon
7
Winner Samford SAM 14-18, 3-0 SoCon
Mercer MER
9-22, 0-3 SoCon
6
Final
7
Samford SAM
14-18, 3-0 SoCon
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Mercer MER 0 0 1 4 1 0 0 6 11 0
Samford SAM 3 1 0 0 2 1 X 7 7 1

W: Newcomb, McKenzie (7-6) L: Katie Rearley (3-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Nelson’s Late-inning Home Run Powers Samford Over Mercer For Weekend Sweep

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – To close out the opening weekend of Southern Conference play, the Samford softball team came from behind once again to top the Mercer Bears by a score of 7-6.
 
Following the three-game sweep, the Bulldogs improve to 14-18 and perfect 3-0 in SoCon play. Mercer drops to 9-22 and 0-3 following the weekend. 
 
Sunday's win cemented back-to-back years of sweeping Mercer on the opening weekend of conference play. 
 
McKenzie Newcomb picked up her seventh win of the season in the victory by tossing 2.2 innings of shutout ball in relief. Sara Bond got the starting nod and surrendered three runs in three runs, while Lainey Baker allowed three more runs in 1.1 innings of work. 
 
The dynamic offensive duo of Logan Champion and Grier Bruce led the Samford offense with a combined five RBIs, two clutch hits and a run scored. 
 
Lindsey Nelson, Kedzie Howe and McKayla Cothran provided a second wave attack behind Champion and Bruce as each Bulldog outfielder had a base knock and scored once.
 
Not to be outdone, Ansley Yantis had a double on the afternoon and Sarah Squillace recorded her second triple of the season in the second inning. 
 
In total, seven of the nine Bulldogs in the Samford lineup collected a base hit in on the afternoon. 
 
After a scoreless top of the first, Champion put Samford up 3-0 with her sixth home run of the season that scored Cothran and Squillace in the home half of the opening frame. 
 
Samford struck again to make it 4-0 in the second when Yantis scurried home on an RBI groundout off the bat of Howe. 
 
Not to go silently into the night, Mercer plated one run in the third, four in the fourth and one in the top of the fifth to take a 6-4 advantage after five and a half innings played. 
 
A Howe leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth ignited the Samford comeback. Squillace walked one batter later before a Cothran sacrifice bunt moved the Bulldogs into scoring position.
 
Down to the final out of the frame, Bruce delivered a single to left that scored Howe and Squillace to tie the game at 6-6. 
 
Nelson played hero on Sunday as the junior launched a leadoff home run on a 1-2 count over the wall in left to put the Bulldogs up for good at 7-6. The home run was Nelson's second of the season and first since the Southern Indiana game on Feb. 26. 
 
Mercer attempted to stage a rally in the top of the seventh, but Newcomb squashed that to seal the SoCon sweep with a 7-6 win. 
 
UP NEXT:
 Before returning to SoCon play on the weekend at Western Carolina, The Bulldogs will play host to in-state foe Auburn on Wednesday. Tickets can be found here. 
   
 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).
 
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