SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College baseball team was defeated 11-4 by Samford on Friday night at Russell C. King Field. With a strong wind blowing out in the first three innings, the Bulldogs had three home runs and built a 9-2 lead. The teams each added two runs in the later innings for the final margin.
 
Wofford is 25-18 overall and 7-5 in the Southern Conference. Samford is 32-11 on the season and 12-1 in league play to sit in first place. Wofford had 14 hits in the contest, while Samford had 12. Reed Massey and Hudson Byorick each had three hits for the Terriers, with Byorick driving in two runs. Sonny DiChiara led the Bulldogs with two home runs and six RBIs.
 
With one out in the top of the first, a single was followed by back-to-back home runs by Sonny DiChiara and Jordan Fucci for a 3-0 lead. Brett Rodriguez led off the bottom of the first with a triple off the wall in left center. A single by Hudson Byorick scored Rodriguez for a 3-1 game.
 
In the top of the second, the Bulldogs had the bases loaded with two outs after a single and a pair of walks. A second home run of the game by Sonny DiChiara cleared the bases for a 7-1 lead. Wofford led off the bottom of the second with a walk by John Dempsey. With two outs, a triple by Mike Brown scored Dempsey for a 7-2 score. Samford added two runs in the top of the third with an RBI double for a 9-2 lead. Wofford had a pair of singles to begin the bottom of the third before a double play and ground ball ended the inning.
 
The Bulldogs left one on base in the top of the fourth inning. Wofford had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the fourth after a single and two walks. A walk by Hudson Byorick allowed a run to score for a 9-3 game, but a ground out left three runners stranded at the end of the fourth. The Bulldogs were retired in order in the top of the fifth inning. With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Colin Davis reached on an error and John Dempsey walked but they were left on base. Both teams left one runner on base in the sixth inning after singles.
 
Samford had the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning when a ground out ended the scoring chance. Colin Davis doubled in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but was stranded at third base. The Bulldogs had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the eighth when a double drove in two runs for an 11-3 lead.
 
Wofford had singles from Reed Massey and Brett Rodriguez in the bottom of the eighth inning but were unable to score. Samford had two singles in the top of the ninth. Colin Davis singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth and Nolen Hester singled with two outs. A single by Reed Massey drove in Davis for an 11-4 game before a strikeout ended the game.
 
Austin Higginbotham (8-3) started for Wofford and went three innings with nine runs allowed on seven hits, along with six strikeouts. Anthony Garcia threw three innings with one hit allowed and three strikeouts. Jake Dippold worked two-thirds of an inning without allowing a hit. Ty Reginelli went 1.1 innings with two runs allowed on two hits. Jake Zoller worked an inning with two hits allowed and two strikeouts.
 
Samford starter Samuel Strickland threw 3.2 innings with three runs allowed on seven hits and five strikeouts. Carson Cupo (4-0) went 4.1 innings and did not allow a run on four hits and two strikeouts. Billy Creger gave up one run on three hits in the final inning.
 
Wofford and Samford will continue the series on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.