The series is the beginning of four crucial conference match-ups that could determine seeding for the OVC tournament. The Redhawks currently sit in fifth with a record of 7-7 in OVC play, ahead of Tennessee-Martin (4-5) and Tennessee Tech (6-7) and just behind Eastern Kentucky (8-7) and Eastern Illinois (7-4) who each sit at fourth and third respectively. Samford is tied for eighth in the standings with Tennessee State with an OVC record of 5-10. Only the top six teams will make the OVC Tournament.
The Redhawks have won three-straight OVC series heading into the Samford games, which are the only OVC road series left for the Redhawks. They conclude the season with nine of their remaining 12 games after this weekends series at home including three OVC series.
Both games of the doubleheader and the series finale will be covered live via gametracker. Links are below.
Game One
Game Two
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
The Redhawks (18-19, 7-7 OVC) split a Wednesday doubleheader with non-conference rival Middle Tennessee State at the Southeast Softball Complex. Game one saw the Redhawks win on a one-out walk-off homerun by Stacia Dopudja. Her two-run shot gave them a 6-4 victory.
Elaine Fisher won her 13th game of the season and pitched her 13th-straight complete game with a four-hitter. All four runs scored against her were unearned and helped lower her ERA under 2.00. The complete game effort moved Fisher into second place on the career charts in that category.
Megan McDonald went 3-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and one RBI. Her two doubles moved her within one career double of catching current teammate and career doubles leader Michelle Summers. McDonald has 43 career doubles, Summers 44.
The Redhawks fell 5-3 in game two despite hitting two homeruns. McDonald's hot-hitting carried over into the nightcap as she hit her sixth homerun of the season. Lauren Bradley added an opposite field homerun for her fourth of the year.
The loss dropped the Redhawks to 7-2 at home this season.
Summers ranks nationally in four offensive categories including homeruns per game (17th), batting average (25th) and toughest to strikeout (20th). She is currently batting .408 with a team-high 11 homeruns, 34 RBIs, 32 hits and a .767 slugging percentage. She's batting .465 in OVC play with seven of her homeruns coming in conference.
McDonald lead the team and OVC in batting with a .435 average which ranks 23rd nationally. She also leads the team in doubles (12) and on base percentage (.496%).
Dopudja is batting .382 over her last 10 games with eight RBIs.
Fisher leads the team in all major pitching categories. She's 13-12 (7-4 in OVC play) with a 1.88 ERA. She has pitched 18 complete games in 21 starts with five shutouts. Opponents are batting .235 against her.
As a team the Redhawks rank 32nd nationally in homeruns and 49th in slugging percentage.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs (13-23, 5-10) have lost six of their last seven games including a 9-8 road loss against league-leading Jacksonville State on Wednesday. This will be the Bulldogs first home game since a 4-0 loss against No. 2 Alabama on April 2. The Bulldogs have played their last seven OVC games away from Bulldog Field where they have a 3-11 record.
Against the Gamecocks, the Bulldogs led 4-0 thanks to a Amanda Barr first-inning grand slam and at one point held a 8-5 lead in the fifth inning. The Gamecocks exploded for four runs in their half of the fifth to take the lead for good and send the Bulldogs home 0-4 during their OVC road trip that also saw them swept by Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Illinois over the weekend.
The Bulldogs offense is led by Jessica Owens who leads the team with a .353 batting average. She has collected a team-high 42 hits including a team-best three triples.
Aaren Fisher is the top run producer for the Bulldogs as she's driven in 25 while sharing the team-lead of five homeruns with Katie England. Fisher is batting .247 and England is hitting .194. Barrs has three homeruns and is second on teh squad with 21 RBIs. Emily Deaux is batting .284 with a team-high eight doubles.
In the circle the team has struggled to replace ace Stephanie Royall. Kayla Burris has taken the bulk of the work as she leads the team 12 starts and a 5-6 record. She has an ERA of 4.43. Barrs is 3-5 with a team-low 3.11 ERA in 12 appearances (10 starts)
THE SERIES
The Redhawks have never won at Bulldog Field going 0-6 against Samford including a tightly contested series two years ago that saw the Redhawks drop three one-run games. Last season the Redhawks took two out of three at home.
Elaine Fisher allowed one unearned run on five hits in a complete game 3-1 win in the series opener. Summers went 2-3 and drove in all three Redhawk runs as she collected her second career multi-homerun game.
The second game of the twinbill saw the Bulldogs explode for a 10-2 win.
In the series finale the Redhawks countered with a 9-1 victory as Megan McDonald went 3-3 with an RBI. Summers drove in two runs and Elise Sperakos connected for her first collegiate homerun, a two run shot.
Fisher again shutdown the bats of the Bulldogs allowing only one run on four hits.
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 9-5 with this series being the final meeting as OVC opponents. Samford will be leaving the conference for the Southern Conference at the end of the season.
