TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Charles Basford pitched eight shutout
innings and four Samford teammates homered to lead the Southern
Conference champions to a 5-0 victory over Southeastern Conference
winner Mississippi State in the opening game of the Tallahassee
Regional on Friday.
Brandon Miller, Saxon Butler, C.K. Irby and Christiaan Durdaller
all homered for Samford, which put the game away with three home
runs in the eighth inning.
Basford (10-2) scattered five hits before giving way in the
ninth to Irby, who got the final three outs. Basford, who played
his high school ball in Tallahassee, had a season-high 131 pitches
and struck out four.
Miller's 23rd home run in the second inning got the scoring
started against Mississippi State ace Chris Stratton (11-2).
Irby had three hits for Samford (40-21) while Mitch Slauter had
two for Mississippi State (39-23).
