May 11, 2008

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford baseball team scored a season-high 17 runs and pounded out a season-high 21 hits in a 17-3 rout of Morehead State Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The win gives Samford the sweep in the three-game Ohio Valley Conference series.

The game was the final home game of the season for Samford. The Bulldogs improve to 32-19 overall and 18-5 in the OVC with the win. Samford posted a record of 23-4 at home this season, and the Bulldogs were 12-0 in home conference games. The 32 wins ties the school record for regular-season wins.

"This was a great day," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "It was great for our seniors to leave Joe Lee Griffin Field on a good note. It's been a special year at home for us."

On Senior Day, senior designated hitter Michael Rutledge was 4-for-6 with two home runs, a triple and five RBI to lead Samford at the plate. Senior right fielder Drew Reagan went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI, and senior third baseman Bill Whitehead was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Senior catcher Bear Burnett had a double in a 1-for-5 performance. The double marked Burnett's 52nd double of his career, tying the modern Samford career record for doubles.

Samford sophomore center fielder Wayne Miller went 3-for-5, and junior shortstop Michael Marseco was 2-for-5 with a triple and three RBI.

Michael Jarry started the game on the mound for Samford, pitching 7.0 innings, giving up two runs on six hits and striking out six batters while walking just one to pick up the win.

For Morehead State, Michael Bottoms was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Nick Nail and Marc Midden also drove in a run each for the Eagles. Clay Muntz pitched 4.1 innings, giving up seven runs on 10 hits to take the loss on the mound for MSU.

After Morehead State plated a run in the top of the first inning, Samford came back with two runs in the bottom of the first, one run in the third and another in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. MSU scored a run in the top of the fifth inning, but Samford came back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to push its lead to 7-2.

Samford broke the game open with four runs in the seventh inning and six more in the eighth to make the score 17-2. In the seventh, Reagan tripled to right-center field to drive in Miller for the first run of the inning. Michael Johnson later doubled down the left-field line to drive in John Morgan and Reagan. Marseco later singled to right field to drive in Johnson for the final run of the seventh inning.

In the eighth inning, Rutledge drove in three runs with a home run to left field. Davis Harrison, Whitehead and Marseco also drove in a run each in the inning to give Samford a 17-2 lead.

Morehead State plated one final run in the top of the ninth inning to make the final score 17-3. Nail singled up the middle to drive in Daniel Pugh for the game's final run.

Samford will return to action on Friday, May 16, when the Bulldogs play at Tennessee Tech in an OVC doubleheader at 1 p.m. The teams will also play a single game on Saturday, May 17, at 1 p.m., to wrap up the regular season.