WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Samford University baseball team opened its series at Purdue with a 5-1 win Friday afternoon at Alexander Field.
 
"This was just an outstanding game for our guys in every phase against a really good team," Samford head coach Tony David said. "Staton and Howe did what they do to get things started with two great at bats. Ross took over after that with an incredible performance against an offensive team that can score in bunches."
 
With the win, Samford improved its record to 11-5. Purdue dropped its mark to 13-5 with the loss.
 
Michael Ross (4-0) pitched 7.0 strong innings, giving up just one run on seven hits and striking out four batters, while allowing just one walk, to earn the win on the mound for Samford. Carson Lore pitched the final 2.0 hitless inning to close out the win.
 
"We had a great day in the field again with some signature plays by Walton on center on a tough wind day," David said. "Lore was electric on the back end to close the door. This was a great day to get things started on this frigid weekend."
 
At the plate for Samford, Garrett Howe went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Garrett Staton also homered for Samford, going 2-for-5 with one RBI. Aaron Walton had three hits, while Cade Carr tallied two hits, driving in one run. Josh Rodriguez and Andrew Bennett added two hits each for the Bulldogs.
 
For Purdue, Couper Cornblum went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Jordan Morales (3-2) tossed 3.0 innings, giving up five runs on nine hits to take the loss on the mound for the Boilermakers.
 
Samford jumped out to an early lead when Howe hit a two-run home run to right-center field for a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. In the second inning, Howe singled to drive in Carr for a 3-0 Samford lead. In the third inning, Carr singled to drive in Rodriguez to make the score 4-0.
 
Staton hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning for a 5-0 Bulldog advantage. Purdue plated its lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning, making the final score 5-1.
 
Samford and Purdue will continue its series with a doubleheader Saturday. The first game is set for a 12 p.m. (CT) start from Alexander Field.
 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford baseball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordBaseball (Facebook), @SamfordBaseball (Instagram) and @SamfordBaseball (Twitter).