BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Wofford College baseball team fell 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field in the finale of a weekend series. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Terriers cut the lead to one run on three occasions, but could not gain the advantage in the final three innings.
 
Wofford is now 31-18 on the season and 11-7 in the Southern Conference. Samford is 27-22 overall and 12-6 in the league. The Bulldogs won the weekend series two games to one and moved to second place in the standings, with Wofford in third place. The Terriers were led by Mack Nathanson and Lawson Hill with two hits each. Brooks Carlson and Ryan Crockett had two hits each for the Bulldogs.
 
Brett Rodriguez opened the game with a walk, but was picked off. Mack Nathanson was hit by a pitch and stranded at second to end the top half of the first inning. The Bulldogs led off with a single and scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first for a 3-0 lead. McClain Bradley singled with two outs in the top of the second, but was out trying to reach second. Samford had a double in the bottom of the second inning and stranded the runner at third.
 
Both teams were retired in order in the third inning. Mack Nathanson led off the fourth inning with a solo home run, his tenth of the season, to make it a 3-1 game. Andrew Orzel reached on a throwing error and a single by Lawson Hill gave the Terriers runners on the corners. The Bulldogs turned a double play, but Orzel scored to cut the lead to 3-2. Samford began the bottom of the fourth with a walk and the runner advanced on a passed ball. After a fielding error, an RBI single gave Samford a 4-2 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth, McClain Bradley and Alex Malsch singled. With runners on the corners and two outs, a delayed double steal plated a run as Malsch stole second and Bradley was safe under the tag at home for a 4-3 game. Samford's lead-off batter in the bottom of the fifth reached on an error. With one out, a fielding error allowed a run to score for a 5-3 score.
 
Lawson Hill had a single with one out in the top of the sixth inning. A single by Cody Miller scored Hill to cut the score to 5-4. In the bottom of the sixth with one out, a Bulldog walked before being caught stealing second to end the inning. Wofford was retired in order in the top of the seventh and Samford had two hits, but left one on base to end the seventh inning. Mack Nathanson doubled with one out in the top of the eighth inning, however he was stranded at third base.
 
Samford had one hit in the bottom of the eighth and stranded a runner at second base. In the top of the ninth inning for the Terriers, a fly ball, strikeout and ground ball ended the game.
 
Scottie Wallace (0-3) started for the Terriers and threw three innings with four runs allowed on five hits, along with one strikeout. Jake Hershman went the remaining five innings with one run allowed on four hits while striking out two.
 
Samford starter Erin Baldwin went 4.2 innings with three runs allowed on five hits and one strikeout. Wyatt Burns (4-3) threw the final 4.1 innings and gave up one run on three hits with four strikeouts.
 
Next up for the Terriers is a Wednesday night contest at USC Upstate, which will be the final non-conference game of the season. Wofford will then travel to VMI to begin a three-game series on Friday night.