Feb. 23, 2002

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - SLU right-hander Steve Trosclair held Samford to two runs on five hits in game one and the Lions used a five-run first inning to defeat the Bulldogs in game two as Southeastern Louisiana rallied to take the series from the Bulldogs with 8-2 and 8-4 victories at Joe Lee Griffin Field Saturday. Samford fell to 6-4 overall while the Lions improved to 6-3.

Trosclair (1-0) struck out nine batters through seven innings and kept the Bulldog offense, which produced 21 hits in the 15-8 win Friday night, in check. Left-handed pitcher Derek Tharpe (2-1) was credited with his first loss of the season after giving up six runs on five hits and striking out four.

The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Russell Taylor scored on a Bulldog error. Samford tied the game in the bottom of the first when Major Allred reached on a fielder's choice plating Cory Sumner, who singled to lead off the inning. SLU extended its lead to 3-1 in the top of the second on a two-run single by Russell Taylor.

SLU would add three more runs in the fourth on one hit and two more Samford errors pushing the lead to 6-1. Samford cut into its deficit in the fifth inning. Sae Evans led off the inning with a double to right center and later scored on an RBI-single up the middle by Eli Iorg, leaving the Bulldogs behind 6-2. But, the Lions scored two more runs in the sixth inning for the 8-2 lead and Samford couldn't come back after that.

In game two of the doubleheader, the Lions used five hits to score five runs in the top of the first. Taylor hit a bloop double to center field and Matt Rogelstad hit a bloop single over the pitcher's mound to give SLU two base runners. After an infield single by Anthony Krajancic, Rhett Buras hit a two-RBI single to right field to put the Lions ahead 2-0. After Krajancic scored on a fielder's choice, Brandon Atkins unleashed a two-run home run over the center field wall extending SLU's lead to 5-0.

Samford put its first run on the board in the bottom of the second when first baseman Ehren Wassermann hit a solo home run to right field to make the score, 5-1. The Bulldogs added two runs in the bottom of the third. Sae Evans tripled down the right field line to score Sumner, making it 5-2. Sae Evans then scored on an RBI-single to right field by Robert Evans as Samford only trailed 5-3. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs, but Joe Denson hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Rogelstad's two-run double pushed SLU's lead back up to 7-3 in the top of the fourth. But, Samford answered with one run in the bottom of the fourth on another RBI-triple by Sae Evans to pull the Bulldogs within, 7-4. SLU's final run of the game came on Rogelstad's RBI-double in the top of the sixth.

Craig Gonzales (2-1) struck out two of the last three batters and forced the third to line out in the seventh to seal the win for the Lions. Gonzales picked up the win in relief of Monty Migliacio. Gonzales gave up one run on three hits while striking out two through 4.1 innings pitched.

Alan Bryan (1-1) took the loss for Samford. Bryan struck out four batters but allowed seven runs on eight hits before giving way to Frank Allen Yeilding. Yeilding gave up one run on two hits and struck out two. Sae Evans finished the doubleheader 3-for-6 with two triples and two RBI while Sumner went 3-for-7 with three runs scored. Rogelstad went 4-for-4 with three RBI in game two for the Lions while Taylor finished the doubleheader 3-for-7 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Samford hits the road next weekend for its first Atlantic Sun conference series. The Bulldogs travel to face Mercer at 4 p.m. (ET) next Friday. Both teams will play a doubleheader next Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. (ET).