Game Recap: Softball | 3.23.24

Softball Drops Doubleheader To Chattanooga On SoCon Opening Day

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On the opening day of Southern Conference play for the Samford softball team, the Bulldogs fell 3-1 and 5-4 in nine innings to the Chattanooga Mocs on Saturday afternoon at Samford Softball Stadium.

With the pair of defeats, Samford drops to 6-22 on the season and 0-2 in league play. Chattanooga will enter Sunday's weekend finale with a 20-8 record and a pair of wins in the conference.

In game one, Jordyn Partain tossed her ninth complete game of the season in a losing effort. The junior allowed two earned runs on six hits and five walks with a trio of strikeouts.

Brantley Drake proved to be the catalyst to the Bulldog offense as the freshman drove in the only Samford run of the game and recorded her first career hit in the fifth inning.

Junior McKayla Cothran went 2-for-3 in the conference opener while the duo of Sarah Squillace and Logan Champion each recorded a base knock to start the day.

The lone Bulldog run came in the home half of the second inning when Katie Campbell strolled home after a bases-loaded walk to Drake. Campbell worked a leadoff walk to open the frame before Champion smacked a left-center leading to a Grier Bruce walk that loaded the bases for Drake.

Chattanooga tied the contest by scoring on an error by Partain in the top of the third. The Mocs took the lead for good in the sixth when a Chattanooga runner came around to score on another Bulldog error. The final run of the game came an inning later when the Mocs added an insurance run in the seventh for the 3-1 final.

In game two, Karley Fuller tossed seven innings but was handed a no-decision due the game going to extras. The freshman fanned four Mocs while surrendering four runs on seven hits with four walks. Partain was dealt the loss for allowing the game-winning run in the top of the ninth.

Squillace went 3-for-5 in the nightcap with a run batted in to pace the Samford attack. Cothan added two more hits of her own while Linsey Hargis had a hit, drove in a run and scored once. Campbell was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth to extend her season-best reached bases streak to nine.

Just like in game one, Samford took a 1-0 in the bottom of the second on a play that did not involve a hit. An error by the Moc second baseman committed an error on a ball hit by Campbell that allowed Logan Champion to come all the way around from first to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

After Chattanooga tied the contest with an RBI triple in the third, the Samford offense exploded for three in the bottom of the fourth. A Hargis RBI double brought home Howe, who was pinch-running for Campbell. Ansley Yantis walked in the next at-bat leading to Hargis scoring on a Drake single to left center. Following a pitching change, Yantis rushed home on a Squillace single for the final Samford run of the day.

A two-run home run for Chattanooga in the sixth inched the Mocs back to within striking heading into the final inning. In the seventh, Chattanooga's Kailey Snell smacked a line drive down the left field line that resulted in an inside-park-home run and a 4-4 game heading to extra innings.

Following a scoreless eighth inning, The Mocs scored the winning run in the top of the ninth before neutralizing a Bulldog threat that was jumped started by a Cothran leadoff double to win game two by a score of 5-4.

UP NEXT
The two squads will conclude the weekend on Sunday with a first pitch slated for 1 p.m. CT. The series finale will be streamed on ESPN+.

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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