BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University baseball team took a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning against Alabama, but eventually fell, 3-2, to the Crimson Tide Tuesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
With the loss, Samford fell to 2-2 on the season. Alabama improved to 3-1 with the win.
 
"It was a great college baseball game," Samford head coach Tony David said. "There were only two half innings where teams scored. We finally got that two-spot with Boykin and Higgins both with big two-strike hits to get us in the lead. And then, to their credit, they answered. I thought Malone made a lot of good pitches in that inning. I tell our guys all the time, when you give up an opposite-field home run, you're just going to have to live with it."
 
For Samford at the plate in the game, Jake Souders went 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Gus Gandy went 2-for-4. Luke Boykin and Trey Higgins drove in a run each for the Bulldogs.
 
John Malone (0-1) pitched 1.0 inning in relief, giving up three runs on two hits to take the loss on the mound for Samford. Joseph Lee started the game on the mound for Samford, tossing 3.2 innings, allowing no runs on just one hit in his first appearance of the season.
 
Alabama was led at the plate by Peyton Steele with a home run and two RBI, going 1-for-4 at the plate. Will Plattner also drove in a run for the Crimson Tide. Austin Morris (1-0) pitched 1.0 inning in relief, allowing two runs on three hits to earn the win on the mound for Alabama. Hogan Banks pitched the final 2.0 innings to pick up his first save of the season.
 
The teams went through the first six and a half innings in a scoreless tie. Samford broke through with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Boykin singled to left field to drive in Souders for the game's first run. Higgin later singled up the middle to drive in Boykin for a 2-0 Samford lead.
 
In the top of the eighth inning, Plattner hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Andrew Purdy to cut the Samford lead to 2-1. Steele then hit a two-run home run to right-center field to give Alabama a 3-2 lead.
 
Next up, Samford will travel to Athens, Ga., to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in a three-game series this weekend. The teams are scheduled to play Friday at 2 p.m. (CT), Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT) and Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT).


 
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