BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – With a five-run first inning Friday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field, the Wofford baseball team jumped on the Samford Bulldogs early and held firm from there with five strong relief frames from Champ Davis to secure an 8-5 win and even the series. The Terriers improve to 34-17 (11-8 SoCon) with the win as the Bulldogs drop to 34-19 (14-6 SoCon).
 
Champ Davis (3-0) picked up the win for Wofford out of the bullpen with 5.0 innings of one-run ball. He matched his career high for innings and with five strikeouts fell one short of his career best. Davis surrendered just three hits and a walk. Camden Wicker started for Wofford, tossing 3.0 innings with four runs allowed on six hits and two walks with a pair of punchouts. After Davis delivered, Alec Bouchard (4) pitched the ninth and secured the save as he locked down the Terrier win with a 1-2-3 frame.
 
Samford starter Noah Berry (0-2) suffered the loss after giving up five runs on three hits and three walks in just two-thirds of an inning.
 
The Wofford offense notched 10 hits, led by freshman Daniel Jackson with one of the best performances yet in his young career. Jackson deposited three hits, tying his career high, and fell a double short of the cycle with a single, triple and home run. The triple was the first of his career, and the homer was his ninth. Jackson drove in five RBI, a new career best, and he added a walk to reach base four total times. The rookie has pushed his on-base streak to 40 games, becoming just the third Terrier since 1999 with an on-base streak of at least 40 games. It's the third-longest such streak, right behind Ryan Galanie's mark of 41 between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns and Marshall Toole's stretch of 42 from earlier this season.
 
Dixon Black and Brice Martinez both tallied two-hit days to join Jackson with multi-hit efforts. Jack Renwick added a pair of runs knocked home with a single, and Lucas Manning recorded the last Terrier RBI with his hit. Adam Haber reached base twice with a hit and a walk. Wofford stole two bases in the contest with those swipes coming from Black and Manning.
 
Wofford jumped out to a quick lead with five runs in the top of the first. After the first two batters of the game were retired, Brice Martinez began the two-out rally with a single to right center. Daniel Jackson then drilled an opposite-field two-run homer to right to get Wofford on the board. Back-to-back walks set up Lucas Manning, who singled to right to score Tyler Hare after Hare delivered a swim move around the catcher's attempt to tag him. Another walk set up Jack Renwick with a bases loaded opportunity, and the senior shortstop delivered with a single to right that scored two more. With five two-out runs, the Terriers claimed a 5-0 advantage in a hurry.
 
Samford responded with a run in the bottom of the second. Back-to-back hits placed runners on second and third, and an RBI groundout provided the Bulldogs with their first run. But it was all they could get as Camden Wicker limited the damage thanks in part to a diving catch in right field by David Wiley. The Terriers remained in front, 5-1.
 
The Bulldogs added three more in the bottom of the third by way of a three-run home run. Samford pulled to within a run, 5-4.
 
Wofford responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Using some more two-out magic, back-to-back singles by Dixon Black and Martinez put runners on the corners for Jackson. The freshman came up big again, this time with an infield single that pushed Black home. The Terriers made their lead 6-4.
 
The Terriers added two more in the top of the sixth. Marshall Toole reached on a fielder's choice, and Black singled to put two on. After a flyout, Black swiped second with two outs to give Jackson a pair of runners in scoring position, and the freshman continued his torrid day at the dish with yet another two-out Terrier knock. Jackson roped a ball into the right field corner, pushing across both runners as he raced around and safely reached third for a two-run triple. Wofford's lead was 8-4.
 
With a run in the bottom of the sixth, Samford pulled within three. The Bulldogs used an RBI single to cut the score to 8-5.
 
Pitching for both teams settled in from there. Both squads got a runner on base in the seventh, but neither could score. Champ Davis clamped down in the bottom of that frame with back-to-back punchouts after giving up a one-out hit. Both teams went down in order in the eighth, including Davis extending his strikeout streak to four in a row by getting the first two Bulldogs swinging before inducing a groundout.
 
After a scoreless top of the ninth, Samford came up for its final chance with Alec Bouchard on to pitch. The freshman worked a 1-2-3 frame to end it, locking down the save and an 8-5 Terrier victory.
 
With the series even at 1-1, the programs will square off once more tomorrow afternoon with the series on the line. The rubber match is also the final game of the regular season before next week's Southern Conference Tournament. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. ET, and the contest will be streamed on ESPN+.