RICHMOND, Ky. – Adriel Foxley’s RBI double in the bottom of the third inning proved to be the game winner as Eastern Kentucky earned a 2-1 series winning victory over Samford on Sunday at Gertrude Hood Field. The Bulldogs (12-19, 4-7 OVC) had runners in scoring position the next three innings, including a bases loaded situation in the fifth, but couldn’t push across the tying run.

The Colonels (18-10, 8-3 OVC), after allowing 15 runs combined in two games on Saturday, limited Samford to only one run in the series finale.

Eastern Kentucky got on the board first with a run in the first. Amber Lenz drove in Erin Luther with a bases loaded single. Samford tied the game in the top of the third on Aaren Fisher’s sacrifice fly.

The Colonels answered in the bottom of the inning. After Chanze Patterson reached on a bunt single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, Foxley doubled to center field to put EKU back on top.

The Bulldogs had the tying run at third base with one out in the fourth, but Eastern starter Jenn Bledsoe struck out back-to-back batters to get out of the inning. Back-to-back walks by Bledsoe in the fifth loaded the bases for Samford with two outs. Stacye Toups came on and got the next batter to fly out to left center to end the threat.

After a lead-off single and a sac-bunt in the top of the sixth moved the tying run into scoring position, Toups retired five straight batters to end the game.

Bledsoe (4-3) earned the win after allowing four hits, four walks and one run in four and two-thirds innings. She also struck out four. Toups recorded her first collegiate save after tossing two and a third innings of scoreless relief. Samford’s Amanda Barrs (2-4) suffered the loss after allowing two runs on six hits in four innings.

Foxley finished 2-for-3 for EKU. Jessica Owens went 3-for-4 with a run scored for Samford.

The Colonels are scheduled to play a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday against Miami (Ohio). The games at Hood Field in Richmond are set to begin at 2 p.m.