The Samford softball team swept a Southern Conference doubleheader against Chattanooga on Mar. 28, winning the first game 9-4 and taking a walk-off victory in the second game, 6-5. The wins extended Samford’s streak to five games and improved their overall record to 14-21, with a conference record of 4-1.
These victories were important for the Bulldogs as they continue their push in league play. The doubleheader was part of Alumni Weekend, adding significance for both players and supporters.
In the opener, Chattanooga took an early lead before Katie Campbell hit her first of three home runs for Samford in the bottom of the first inning. Addison Smith tied it up with an RBI double in the second inning. Olivia Shaw and Campbell then hit back-to-back solo home runs in the third to give Samford a lead they would not lose. Shaw and Campbell repeated this feat in the sixth inning, combining for five home runs and six RBIs between them. Sara Bond earned the win as starting pitcher over four innings while Olivia Treece and Reese Hickey finished out the game.
The second game saw Chattanooga take a quick 5-0 lead after two innings against starter Makinley Turner, who was returning from injury. Brandy Phillips started Samford’s comeback with a solo home run in the fourth inning. The Bulldogs scored four more runs in the fifth inning to tie it up, with key hits from Katie Hart, Joi Hubbard, Shaw, and Phillips. In the bottom of the seventh inning with scores still tied, Campbell delivered a single that drove in Hubbard for a walk-off win.
Relief pitcher Reese Hickey threw over five scoreless innings to earn her third win of the season and has now pitched fifteen consecutive scoreless innings across her last four outings.
Samford will host Chattanooga again tomorrow for game three of their series.
