JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – To open a three-game weekend series, the Samford softball team split Saturday's doubleheader with the ETSU Buccaneers by dropping the opening game 7-6 before run-ruling ETSU 10-2 in the nightcap.
The Saturday split moves the Bulldogs to 15-27 on the season and 8-6 in Southern Conference league play. ETSU will enter Sunday's rubber match with records of 10-28 and 4-10.
In game one, regining SoCon pitcher of the week
McKenzie Newcomb got the starting nob in the circle for Samford. The junior was dealt a no-decision after surrendering three runs over four innings pitched.
Sara Bond was given the loss in series opener as the sophomore allowed four unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Offensively, seven different Bulldogs recorded a base hit in game one. The junior trio of
Sarah Squillace,
Grier Bruce and
Logan Champion each drove in a run on the afternoon. Champion also scored twice in the contest.
Following a quiet opening frame, the scoring started in the second inning Champion came home to make 1-0 Bulldogs after a ETSU error was committed on a ball that was put in play by
Linsey Hargis.
Samford's lead ballooned to 4-0 when the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one away. Champion scored again when
Ansley Yantis worked a bases loaded walk to make 2-0 Bulldogs. A
Shannon Weems pinch-hit sacrifice fly that scored
Olivia Shaw gave way to a Squillace RBI single that plated Hargis to round out the four-run advantage.
ETSU answered with a trio of in the bottom of the fourth that made it a 4-2 contest with four innings in the books.
The Bulldog attacked regain form in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back RBI singles from Bruce and Champion that scored Yantis and Weems pushed the Samford advantage to 6-3 heading to the bottom of the sixth.
In the game-altering bottom of the sixth, the Buccaneers scored four runs on three hits and a devastating three Samford errors to take the lead 7-6. The Bulldogs could only muster a two-out walk in the top of the seventh before ETSU sealed up the game one victory.
In game two,
Jordyn Partain nabbed the five-inning complete game victory. The junior allowed two ETSU runs on four hits to nab her eighth win of the season.
At the plate,
Shannon Weems had her best game of her young Bulldog career ad the freshman went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. In supporting roles,
Katie Campbell,
McKayla Cothran and Squillace also had two-hit games with a run scored.
ETSU opened the scoring the bottom of the first with an RBI single to make it a 1-0 game before the Samford offensive onslaught began in earnest.
The Bulldogs first got on the board in the second when Weems singled through the left side to plate Campbell, who opened the inning with a leadoff single to shortstop. Squillace made it 2-0 in the next at-bat with an RBI single that plated Yantis.
The final ETSU run of the day came in the bottom of the third and gave way to an eight-run Bulldog fourth that put the game out of reach.
Samford's eight-run fourth featured a two-run Buccaneer error, a pair of bases loaded walks, three RBI singles by Weems, Campbell and Hargis plus another ETSU error that allowed a run to score for good measure.
Partain shut the door in the fifth for salvage a win in Saturday's night cap.
UP NEXT
The series between the Bulldogs and the Buccaneers will be decided on Sunday with a first pitch slated for noon CT and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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