GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Samford Baseball Team fell 7-6 to the Wofford Terriers in the semifinal round of the Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases on Friday afternoon.
With the loss, Samford drops to 33-23 overall while Wofford improves to 40-17.
Garrett Staton knocked a team-high three hits with a pair of runs scored. The sophomore infielder slugged a pair of doubles, including an RBI two-bagger in the sixth.
John Anderson drove in a team-high three runs on a pair of hits, including a three-run home run in the fifth that marked his 22nd of the season. Anderson needs just one more round-tripper to tie the single-season home run record set by Brandon Miller in 2012.
Andrew Bennett, Stephen Klein, and Josh Rodriguez all notched a pair of hits, with Klein and Rodriguez each driving in a run. Ben Petschke (5-3) took the loss in the contest. The junior closer surrendered two runs on two hits over the final two innings of relief.
On the mound, Brody Westbrooks gave up just one run on five hits over 5.2 innings of work while striking out four.
Wofford looked poised to take the lead in the top of the second when Cameron Gill lifted a fly ball to left field but Steele cut down baserunner Dixon Black at home to keep the game scoreless.
The Terriers broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when a bases-loaded sac fly by Gill brought in Trey Yunger.
Samford took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning on Anderson's three-run bomb that measured 408 feet off the left-field light pole. A Staton leadoff double, followed by a one-out walk by Klein, set the stage for Anderson.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the sixth, courtesy of an RBI double from Staton and an RBI single from Klein, to go up 5-1.
The Terriers responded by hanging four runs on three hits while taking advantage of a pair of Bulldog errors to tie the contest at five. An RBI sac bunt from Marshall Toole brought in the inning's first run, followed by an RBI double from Yunger and a Bulldog throwing error that brought in a pair.
The Bulldogs retook the lead on an RBI single by Rodriguez in the bottom of the seventh, who laced a 2-1 offering up the middle to bring in pinch-runner Brayden Broome.
Samford took a 6-5 lead into the ninth, but the Terriers worked a pair of one-out walks to make things interesting. Wofford tied the score at six when Bryce Martinez knocked a two-out single off the first-base bag that ricocheted to Klein, whose throw behind the runner at second base was not in time and allowed Ryan Galanie to beat an ensuing throw from Garrett Howe to the plate. Gill followed suit one batter later with an RBI single to center.
The Bulldogs will play in an elimination game tomorrow morning against the winner of the Mercer vs. UNCG elimination game. A first pitch time from Flour Field has yet to be officially announced.
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