CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Samford University baseball team split a doubleheader Saturday at Western Carolina to take the series with the Catamounts at Hennon Stadium. Samford came from behind late to take game two, 8-7 after falling in the first game of the day, 12-2 in seven innings.
"This was just another incredible baseball game tonight," Samford head coach Tony David said of the game two win. "It was a really intense battle with a lot of high-level play on both sides. (WCU head coach) Alan (Beck) has done a good job in a short period of time. They have a really good team."
With the split, Samford now has a record of 26-13 overall and 10-2 in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs won the series with the Catamounts, two games to one. Western Carolina now has a mark of 21-16 overall and 6-6 in league games.
"Our guys just really know what battling to the end means, regardless of the situation," David said. "Turner (Thompson) was great again in relief for us and then Jake (Holifield) and (Carson) Lore to close it out."
In the game two win for Samford,
Garrett Howe went 3-for-3 with a home run and one RBI.
Garrett Staton went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI, while
Aaron Walton went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and one RBI.
Lucas Steele also homered in game two, going 1-for-3 with two RBI.
"The Garretts had two huge blasts off of one of the top arms in the league and we turned an incredible double play in the eighth to escape damage," David said. "This was a huge win to pick up the series."
Jake Holifield (4-1) earned the win on the mound in game two for Samford, tossing 2.0 innings in relief, allowing no runs on just one hit.
Carson Lore picked up his sixth save of the season, pitching the final 2.0 innings, giving up no runs on two hits.
Samford jumped on top first in game two when
John Anderson doubled to right-center field to drive in Howe in the top of the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Western Carolina answered with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead.
In the second inning, Walton hit a solo home run to knot the score at 2-2, but the Catamounts answered with a run in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead. In the third inning, Anderson had an RBI single to tie the game again at 3-3, but WCU scored again in the bottom of the third to jump back on top at 4-3.
Samford took the lead for the first time in the top of the fourth inning when Steele hit a two-run home run to right field for a 5-4 Samford lead. In the sixth inning, Western Carolina plated three runs to take a 7-5 advantage.
In the eighth inning, Samford used the long ball to plate three runs to take the lead for good. Staton got things started with a two-run homer to left field to tie the score at 7-7. Howe followed that with a solo home run to right field for an 8-7 Samford advantage. The Samford pitching staff and defense were able to hold Western Carolina scoreless for the final two innings to hold on for the win.
Samford was led in the first game by Steele, going 1-for-3 with a home run and one RBI.
Heath Clevenger (1-2) pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on one hit to take the loss on the mound for Samford.
In the first game, Western Carolina jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Samford came back with a run in the third inning when
Josh Rodriguez doubled down the third base line to drive in
Hayden Perry to cut the lead to 2-1.
The Catamounts added four runs in the fourth inning on a three-run home run by Zach Ketterman and a solo homer by Trent Turner for a 6-1 WCU lead. In the fifth inning, Samford's Steele homered to cut the lead to 6-2. WCU, however, added two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to push its lead to 8-2. The Catamounts added two runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh inning to close out the 12-2 Catamount win.
Samford will play at Alabama on Tuesday, April 23. The game is set for a 6 p.m. start from Tuscaloosa, Ala.
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