Walk-Off Home Run Lifts Baseball To 4-2 Win And Doubleheader Split

Drew Reagan hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to give Samford the win

May 21, 2005

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford's Drew Reagan hit a three-run, walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Samford a 4-2 win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against Murray State at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Samford dropped the first game, 12-1.

Murray State struck first in the second game, taking a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the fifth inning. James Akin singled down the right-field line to drive in Jason Payton for the game's first run.

Samford tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Garrett Rice hit a solo home run, his team-leading seventh of the season, to make the score 1-1.

Murray State scored a run in the top of the seventh when Brett Mullins singled up the middle to drive in Akin to make the score 2-1 and set up Reagan's game-winner.

Rice and Parker Gargis each went 2-for-3 for Samford in game two. Michael Neimkin pitched the final inning, giving up just one hit to pick up the win on the mound.

Akin went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Thoroughbreds at the plate. Charlie Wade pitched the final two-thirds of an inning to take the loss on the mound.

In game one, Murray State plated seven runs in the first inning and four in the second inning on its way to the 12-1 win.

In the first inning, Tyler Pittman hit a three-run home run, and Clint Griggs, Brett Wilson, Mullins and Chaz Ebert drove in a run each in the inning for a 7-0 MSU lead. Wilson drove in two runs in the second inning, while Austin Swain and Mullins drove in a run each to push the Thoroughbreds' lead to 11-0.

Murray State added a run in the fifth inning to make the score 12-0. Samford plated its lone run of the contest in the bottom of the seventh inning when Gargis hit a solo home run to make the final score 12-1.

For Samford in game one, Gargis was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Bear Burnett went 2-for-3. Stephen Artz took the loss on the mound, pitching 1.2 innings, giving up 11 runs on 12 hits.

Murray was led in game one by Pittman, going 2-for-2 with three RBI. Wilson was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Billy Fares pitched the complete 7.0 innings, giving up one run on five hits to pick up the win on the mound.

With the split, Samford is eliminated from contention for the final spot in next week's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Samford ends the 2005 season with a record of 20-35 overall and 13-14 in the OVC.