SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Samford softball team started Southern Conference Tournament play as they opened against ETSU tonight. The Bulldogs entered the game as the third seed in the tournament while the Buccaneers were the seventh seed. Samford earned a 7-6 victory over the Bucs to advance into the winner's bracket of the SoCon Tournament.

The Bulldogs handed the ball to their ace Jordyn Partain in game one of the tournament against the Bucs. The ETSU team played a game earlier today where they defeated Western Carolina 12-9. The hot bats carried over for the visitors as they had six hits and scored four runs in the opening frame off the Samford senior hurler.

It didn't take long for the Dogs to get back in the game as they scored four runs of their own to tie the game in a busy first inning. McKayla Cothran and Sarah Squillace reached on singles to start the inning before Cothran was brought home on a Katie Campbell single. Grier Bruce battled to draw a walk before the big hit of the frame came from Logan Champion who cleared the bases with a double and tied the game 4-4.

The Dogs were able to add another run in the bottom of the second Campbell delivered an RBI single for the second time on the night to score Squillace and put Samford up 5-4. The Bucs were able to load the bases in the third against Partain which ended her day as she was replaced by Olivia Treece. The freshman reliever surrendered a two-out two-RBI single as the visitors regained a 6-5 lead. The book closed on Partain after 2.1 innings pitched, allowing six runs on eight hits.

Treece retired the side in order in the top of the fourth which allowed the Dogs to get the bats back to work in the bottom half. Squillace and Shaw singled to start before Campbell delivered her third RBI single of the night and Bruce singled to bring in Shaw as Samford went back ahead 7-6.

From that point on, Treece shut the door on the Buccaneer bats. She went 4.2 innings, scattering seven hits, striking out three, and allowing no runs. She earned the win to move to 8-1 on the season. The Bulldogs were outhit 15-12 in the game but came through with the big hits when they needed it. The Dogs were led by Squillace who went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored three runs while Campbell went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Champion also added three RBIs on the night with the bases-loaded double in the first inning to get the Bulldogs back in the game.

Samford is set to face two-seed UNCG tomorrow at noon. The Spartans had a bye for today after earning a top-two seed and won two-of-three games when the two sides met earlier this season.

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