CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Samford softball team finished off a three-game Southern Conference series with Western Carolina this afternoon. The Bulldogs dominated all three games of the set, capping it off with a 16-2 win today that captured the series sweep. Samford outscored the Catamounts 44-6 on the weekend and move their record to 23-14 overall and 5-1 in SoCon play.

The Bulldog bats didn't cool off in the slightest from the two games yesterday to the action today. Joi Hubbard got the offensive party started as she led off the game with a solo homer, her second long ball of the season. After Olivia Shaw and McKayla Cothran each walked, they were brought home as Grier Bruce crushed a ball that went out in left field to put the Dogs up 4-0 right away.

Once again, Bulldog pitching was staked to a big lead early, and again they kept the large advantage by shutting down the home side's bats. Jordyn Partain made her second start of the series and cruised through three innings of work, allowing just one hit. 

The game-sealing blow was dealt by the Bulldogs in the fourth inning as they recorded 11 hits and 12 runs to go up 16-0. Unbelievably, almost all of the rally was done with two outs as Cothran and Shaw were retired after Hubbard led off the inning with a walk. From that point on, 14 straight batters reached base starting with a Katie Campbell two-run homer, her fifth of the season. Three walks and a Sarah Squillace single brought in a run to make it 9-0 Bulldogs, but that lead was added to when Cothran hit a grand slam to center field, leaving the yard for the first time this season. Bruce, Addison Smith, and Squillace all delivered RBI hits as the lead ballooned to 16-0 after the top of the fourth.

With the huge lead, Partain's day came to an end after her three innings of work but she remained the pitcher of record and moved to 10-8 on the year. She was replaced by Olivia Trout who surrendered two runs on two hits in her lone inning of work and then Sara Bond came in to close out the game with a clean frame in the circle.

The offensive barrage came to an end due to run rule, the second game in this series. Samford ended the day with 15 hits to just three to WCU, led by Campbell, Bruce, and Squillace who all went 3-for-4 at the plate for the game. Cothran and Bruce each had four RBIs while Hubbard and Bruce each scored three times. Smith had a strong day getting a spot start in left field as she reached base safely all four at-bats, going 1-for-1 with three walks. The Bulldogs did a good job staying disciplined at the plate despite the large lead as they drew nine walks.

At worst, the Bulldogs will be tied atop the SoCon with a 5-1 mark depending on what the rest of the league does this weekend. Samford hopes to keep their hot bats going as they return to action on April 1 at Alabama. The Crimson Tide are just outside the top-25, but sit 17th in the RPI and would be a quality win for the Bulldogs who fell 9-2 when the two sides met earlier this season.

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