March 20, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University softball team will resume play in its current nine-game homestand Friday at 1 p.m., as the Bulldogs square off against the Morehead State Eagles in an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Bulldog Field.

Samford (10-13, 2-1 OVC) heads into this weekend's three-game set as the fourth-place team in the conference standings.

Last week, in the opening series of OVC play, the Bulldogs took two out of three games against the Austin Peay Lady Govs. Both of Samford's wins occurred in dramatic come-from-behind fashion, including a thrilling four-run seventh-inning rally in the series finale.

Offensively, Samford was sparked by junior utility player Kristy Lawrence against Austin Peay. The Bulldogs' native of Sydney, Australia, finished the weekend with a .429 batting average, three runs batted in and a pair of doubles.

In helping to lead Samford to its comeback wins over Austin Peay, Lawrence tallied a hit in each game of the series and drove in a pair of runs with a key double in Saturday's first meeting. She went 1-for-2 in each of the team's last two games and scored a critical seventh-inning run in the Bulldogs' game-tying rally en route to Sunday's win.

Sophomore Amanda Barrs also turned in a phenomenal performance against Austin Peay on Sunday. Listed as an infielder, Samford's starting first baseman came on in relief for the Bulldogs and limited Austin Peay to only three hits and one earned run in 7.1 innings.

Barrs retired 11-consecutive batters at one point in the game and spearheaded Samford's thrilling 6-5 come-from-behind victory. She only allowed one walk in the first 7.1 innings that she's pitched this season and tallied a pair of strikeouts Sunday.

Morehead State (14-3, 0-1 OVC) enters Friday's games with the best overall record in the conference. The Eagles opened the 2008 campaign with 12-straight victories and have only allowed their opponents to score a total of 29 runs this season.

Since March 12, Morehead State has been defeated in three of its previous five games, including a 3-2 setback against UT Martin on Friday. The hard-fought, one-run loss occurred in the Eagles first OVC contest of the season.

Morehead State currently boasts the best pitching staff in the conference. The Eagles own an OVC-leading earned run average of 1.05 and are being led by the league's top pitcher in Kari Quinn. Quinn holds a 5-1 record this season and has only allowed two earned runs. She also leads the OVC with a stingy ERA of 0.39.

Samford and Morehead State have squared off 11 times since the series began in 2004. The Bulldogs own an 8-3 advantage in the rivalry and have been victorious in five of the previous seven meetings between the teams.

Last season, the OVC foes faced off in Morehead, Ky., and Samford took the series with a 2-1 record. The Bulldogs won the first two games 5-0 and 4-0, before the Eagles rallied for a 4-2 victory in the series finale.

In 2006, Samford and Morehead State played a three-game set in Birmingham and the Bulldogs won two of the three contests. Samford owns a 5-1 all-time record against Morehead State when playing at Bulldog Field.

Following Friday's doubleheader, Samford and Morehead State will conclude their three-game OVC series Saturday at 1 p.m., at Bulldog Field.

GameTracker - Samford vs. Morehead State - Game One
GameTracker - Samford vs. Morehead State - Game Two