BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 4, 2015) - The ETSU softball team wrapped up a three-game series in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, falling to one of the Southern Conference's hottest teams, Samford, 4-1.

The Bulldogs (27-13, 8-1 SoCon), who have won seven consecutive games, used three solo home runs to pull away from ETSU after the Buccaneers (12-22, 1-8 SoCon) knotted the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning.

Trailing 1-0, ETSU capitalized on a Samford throwing error in the fourth to plate Brooke Baxter (Jasper, Tenn.) and tie the game at 1-1.

Samford, which entered the day leading the SoCon in total home runs, then went on to score three unanswered runs—each coming on a solo homer—to clinch the 4-1 victory and series sweep.

Six different ETSU players recorded hits in the setback, including Nicole Fox (Peachtree City, Ga.), who went a combined 5-for-11 at the plate in three games versus Samford, scoring three runs and stealing two bases.

ETSU starter Madison Ogle (Maryville, Tenn.) tossed five innings, allowing just three earned runs without surrending a walk.

Friday, the Bucs nearly captured a victory in the series opener, rallying from a 3-1 deficit to eventually take the lead before falling, 7-6.

Three players put together multi-hit games for ETSU in Game One of the series: Fox, and freshmen Cassi Pickett (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Kelsey Smith (Tucson, Ariz.).

Smith's RBI single in the third inning scored Pickett, tying the game at 3-3.

In Samford's half of the third, Callie Brister hit a two-run homer to regain the lead for the Bulldogs, 5-3.

Again, ETSU responded, scoring three times in the fifth inning to take a 6-5 advantage.

Fox led off the inning with a single to short before stealing second, bringing Bethany Cowart (Ringgold, Ga.) to the plate, who then belted a double down the left field line to plate Fox. Cowart is hitting an impressive .290 (9-of-31) with runners in scoring position this season.

Pickett followed up Cowart's double with a hit of her own, a single to left field, before being pinch ran for by Baxter.

Baxter and Cowart would then both score on a throwing error by the Samford shortstop to give the Bucs a 6-5 advantage through five innings.

Samford put an end to the back-and-forth game by scoring twice in the sixth before retiring ETSU's side in order in the seventh.

ETSU and Samford each recorded nine hits in the contest.

The Bucs' Whitney Leon (Dandridge, Tenn.) recorded three strikeouts in four-and-one-third innings in the pitcher's circle.

In the second game of Friday's doubleheader, the Bulldogs' Rebecca Leonard tossed a five-hit, complete-game shutout, limiting ETSU to just one run—a Nicole Fox score in the seventh inning on a wild pitch.

Fox and Jenine Duncan (Jonesborough, Tenn.) each stole one base in the setback. During the three-game series versus Samford, ETSU was successful on all five of its stolen base attempts, bringing the Bucs' season total to 35 steals on 37 attempts.

ETSU will not be in action this coming week and will return home to host No. 11 Tennessee Tuesday, April 14 at 6:00 p.m., at Betty Basler Field in Johnson City.

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