April 6, 2001

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford Bulldogs used good pitching in game one and the long ball in game two to sweep a Trans America Athletic Conference softball double header against Stetson University at Samford Park Friday night.

Angela Bednark singled home Julie King, from third base, with a single up the middle in the bottom of the 11th inning of the opener to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 win. Abi Casillo and Michelle Ashley each hit home runs in Samford's 3-1 win in the night cap. Samford improves 16-27 on the season and 2-0 in the TAAC.

Stetson (19-18, 4-2 TAAC) took the lead game one after Tiffany Tolleson reached on an error to open the game. She stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball. The Hatters made the score 2-0 in the third inning on an RBI-single by Tolleson that scored Leah Wilbanks from third.

Mindy Shunnarah led-off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to left-center field for Samford's first hit of the game. The Bulldogs tied the score in the fifth on a long RBI-single by Michelle Wright which scored Casillo from second base.

The game remained tied until the 10th inning when the tie-breaker rule went into effect. Each team manufactured a run in the tenth. In the 11th, Samford starter Brianne Mertens (10-13) stranded the Hatter runner at third base to set up Bednark's game-winning hit in the bottom of the inning.

Mertens threw 170 pitches in her 11 innings of work. She did not allow an earned run and fanned 12 Hatters. Gina Reynolds took the loss for Stetson after relieving Hatter starter Kelli Lightner in the ninth inning.

Game two remained scoreless until Casillo led off the bottom of the fourth inning with her fourth home run of the season over the right field wall. Ashely hit her first home run of the year in the fifth inning with Michelle Dickey aboard to give Samford a 3-0 lead.

Stetson threatened in the sixth inning scoring a run on an RBI-single by Alison Parker which scored Mariah Cobb, but Emily Harris was thrown out at the plate on the play to stymie the threat.

Erin Landsburg went the distance giving up one run on five hits to improve to 4-10 on the year. Reynolds once again took the loss for Stetson and fell to 4-4 on the season.

Stetson will travel to Jacksonville State on Saturday for a 1 p.m. double header while Samford will face Georgia State at Samford Park on Monday at 3 p.m.