Plenty of Action on the Diamond with Softball and Baseball Continuing SoCon Season

Softball

Game 1: W 11-6

After a full week off due to the midweek series against Alabama A&M being canceled, Samford's bats were primed and ready as the Bulldogs took game one from the conference leading Paladins.

Emily Barnett (7-6) got back on the right track, picking up the win behind a complete game effort. Barnett allowed 6 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.

Photo taken by Chase Cochran

Softballs were flying all over the park Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs tallied 6 extra base hits. Timberlyn Shurbutt led the way, going 2-4 on the day with 3 RBIs. Shurbutt picked up all 3 RBIs with a blast over the Blue Monster, Shurbutt also picked up a double to lead off the Bottom of the 4th. Ansley Yantis and Mekhi Mayfield went back to back with blasts in the Bottom of the 2nd with Yantis bringing home Amanda Briskin with a blast over the Blue Monster and Mayfield hitting an Oppo Taco. Merritt Cahoon (2-4 with 2 RBIs) and Grace Robertson (2-2 with 2 RBIs) were the other two players to join the extra base hit club.

Game 2: L 3-5

Not even a career night was enough to give Taylor DeCelles (L, 1-7) a positive result. DeCelles went the entire game, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk while striking out a career high 11 batters. As I said on Twitter on Saturday evening, Taylor is a great pitcher who has just been in the wrong place at the wrong time this season.

Photo taken by Chase Cochran

Amanda Briskin paced the Bulldog offense, going 3-4 on the day with 2 RBIs. Ansley Yantis picked up the other RBI with a double in the Bottom of the 4th. Grace Robertson and Whitney Hinton picked up the other extra base knocks, both of them collecting doubles. While scoring only 3 runs isn't great, the team went the entire 7 innings without a single strikeout.

Sunday's rubber match is set for 1pm as Samford looks to win their second SoCon series of the season.

Baseball

Game 1: 12-11

After trailing for the entire game, Samford scored 4 in the Bottom of the 9th to walk off The Citadel and take game 1 of the 3 game series.

7 pitchers entered the game for Samford on the day, with Samuel Strickland (ND, 3-2) starting the game. Strickland saw 4 runners cross the plate (I have 4 earned runs while the official scorer only has 3 counting against him) on 12 hits (or 11 hits if you give Taylor Garris an error in the 1st) and 1 walk with 3 Ks to boot. Jalon Long (W, 1-1) worked a perfect 8th and 9th innings, collecting 3 punch outs while not allowing a single batter to reach base.

Photo taken by Chase Cochran

Garrett Howe had a monster game, going 2-4 with 4 RBIs. Will David also had a very solid game, collecting 3 hits in 5 trips to the plate, scoring 2 runs and driving home 2 more. Obviously I have to mention Ryan Crockett as he drove in the winning run on a 2-2 single up the middle; however, he also launched the sole Samford home run in the game with a leadoff bomb in the 4th, contributing to a solid 3-6 day with 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Max Pinto accounted for 4 runs, crossing the plate 3 times and collecting an RBI. Pinto reached 3rd twice off the bat, racing around the base path thanks to an overthrow by the third baseman and a good bounce off the wall and then smoking a ball to the Right-Center Field wall for a traditional triple in the Bottom of the 6th.

Game 2: W 14-1 (7 innings)

A double digit 5th inning propelled the Bulldogs to a massive victory, securing the series victory and the Saturday sweep.

Jesse McCord (W, 3-3) pitched 5 full innings, allowing a hit per inning and allowing 1 run and a base on balls while striking out 4. Blake Bortak and Mason McCormack each pitched an inning where Bortak got 2 outs via the fly out while McCormack got 2 via the ground.

Photo taken by Chase Cochran

In game 2, the Bulldogs tallied 10 hits with Max Pinto, Sonny DiChiara, and Taylor Garris collecting multiple hits. Ryan Crockett let game 1 influence the night cap as he drove in 3 runs via the long ball as he sent the pitch sailing towards West Village. Garrett Howe, Brooks Carlson, and Will David joined Crockett in the extra base hit club with the trio collecting a double each.

With the series victory secured, Samford will go for the season sweep tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for 1pm .

Photo taken by Chase Cochran

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