BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Sophomore Matt Davis hit a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to lead the Eastern Kentucky baseball team to a 7-5 victory over the Samford Bulldogs in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Samford won game one by a score of 13-3. Samford's record moves to 22-21 overall and 7-10 in the OVC with the split. EKU is now 18-21-1 overall and 7-8 in conference play.

The Colonels entered the seventh and final inning of game two with the score tied at five. Junior Lucas Waters walked to lead off the inning and then moved to third when the Bulldogs misplayed a bunt by senior Tony Wells. Davis then follwed with the go-ahead hit through the left side of the infield. Sophomore Dylan McMaine added another run with a sacrifice fly.

Junior McKenzie Willoughby then pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to pick up the save. Sophomore Christian Friedrich (3-2) pitched 6.0 innings, giving up five runs, only two earned, on four hits to pick up the win. Junior Tyler Barnett went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Colonels at the plate in game two.

Samford scored two runs in the first inning of game two and two more in the second to take a 4-1 lead.

EKU came back to take the lead with four runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by by a Barnett three-run double, to take a 5-4 lead.

After Samford came back to tie the score with a run in the sixth inning, EKU took the lead for good with the two runs in the seventh.

In game one, the Bulldogs were led by Garrett Rice who went 4-for-5 with two home runs. Bear Burnett was 3-for-4 with an RBI as well and Parker Gargis was 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI.

David Knapp pitched 8.0 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits to pick up the win on the mound.

For EKU, Aaron Barrows drove in one run in a 1-for-3 performance. Eric Hash pitched 3.0 innings, giving up nine runs on 11 hits to take the loss for the Colonels.

Samford plated four runs in the first inning, two in the second and three in the third to take a 9-3 lead. In the first inning, Peavy and Rice each hit solo home runs, and Gargis also drove in a run for the Bulldogs. In the second inning, Gargis drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, and Bill Whitehead scored on a wild pitch for the second run. In the third inning, Marseco, Burnett and Gargis drove in a run each.

Samford added single runs in the fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings to pull away for the 10-run win. Rice added his second home run of the game in the fourth inning, and Gargis hit his OVC-leading 11th home run of the season in the seventh inning.

Samford and EKU will conclude their three-game series with a single game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field.