Baseball is in full swing at Samford and the men’s team is beginning to pick up steam with the midpoint of the season approaching. The team currently sits at 16-13, with an impressive 5-1 conference record that leads the SoCon.
Samford played The Citadel in a three-game series at home Friday, March 31, through Sunday, April 2. Samford won each game with an aggregate score of 24-9.
On Friday, Samford won 6-3 against the visiting Bulldogs. Each team had eight hits with Jacob Cravey claiming the win after throwing 10 strikeouts and allowing two runs in six innings. Garrett Staton came up huge with a go-ahead grand slam that gave the Samford Bulldogs a 5-2 advantage in the fourth inning.
On Saturday, Samford again beat The Citadel, this time by a 10-4 advantage. Brody Westbrooks earned the win with six strikeouts and only two runs allowed in five innings. John Anderson, Garrett Howe, Stephen Klein and Garrett Staton all had three-hit games, showcasing the Samford Bulldogs’ depth and their ability to strike from any spot in the lineup.
The series’ final game ended in an 8-2 win for Samford. Will Lynch gave up two runs over six innings, giving him the victory. Stephen Klein once again shined, having two hits with two runs scored.
After the sweep of The Citadel, Samford was not so lucky against North Alabama in Florence. The Bulldogs lost a nailbiter 11-10 after nearly erasing a seven-run deficit in the ninth inning. John Anderson hit a grand slam to make the score 11-8, followed by Aaron Walton’s solo blast to cut the deficit to two. Kace Garner’s potential game-tying home run fell short of the wall, though, for the third and final out. In addition, the pitching for the Bulldogs struggled, giving up nine runs in the first five innings.
Head Coach Tony David spoke about the team’s direction.
“We have played really well over the last few weeks, really since we left Baton Rouge (after facing LSU),” David said. “As difficult as the challenge was of playing down there was, I believe it helped us moving forward. We’ve found our stride and are on a hot streak.”
The Bulldogs will look to continue said hot streak in a three-game homestand against UNCG that begins Thursday, April 6.
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