GREENVILLE, S.C. – The No. 7 Wofford baseball team fell 12-7 to No. 2 Samford Friday afternoon at Fluor Field in the Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases. The Terriers drop to 33-26 as they fall to the losers' bracket to play again later tonight. The Bulldogs improve to 29-25 as they advance to tomorrow.
 
Only three Terriers pitched with starter Branton Little (4-8) suffering the loss. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) in 4.1 innings of action. Grant Comstock was the middle arm before John Gray finished off the final 3.0 frames with just one unearned run allowed.
 
Samford starter Miller Riggins (5-2) earned the win after pitching 5.0 innings with three runs allowed on five hits and a walk.
 
The Bulldogs had a 13-7 advantage in hits with Niko Brini leading the Terriers with his two knocks. He added three RBI with both hits being a double. Tanner Hardin, Tyler Hare, and Andrew Mannelly each picked up an RBI with Hare clubbing his fifth homer of the campaign, tying for the team lead. Lucas Manning's double marked the only other Wofford extra-base hit. Patient at the dish, the Terriers worked eight walks with Ryan Wynn and Cade Collins each working two.
 
Samford struck first in the bottom of the first, utilizing a three-run homer to left for a quick 3-0 lead.
 
Pitching settled in and three consecutive scoreless innings followed for both teams. The Terriers got on the board in the top of the fifth when Tyler Hare lifted a solo shot 384 feet to left center, making the score 3-1.
 
However, the Bulldogs found a rhythm in the bottom of the fifth, plating eight runs to stretch their lead to 11-1.
 
The Terriers pushed back with six runs in the top of the sixth. After back-to-back singles, Tanner Hardin brought one home with another single. A walk loaded the bases, and Andrew Mannelly was hit by a pitch to bring home another. A wild pitch then plated one more. Cade Collins walked to reload the bags, and Niko Brini cleared them with his three-run double to right, trimming the margin to 11-7.
 
Samford gained an insurance run with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, marking a 12-7 margin for the Terriers to mount as they entered their last shot.
 
The first two batters walked to get on for Wofford in the top of the ninth, but Samford went to the bullpen and retired the next three batters to close out the contest and a 12-7 Bulldog win.
 
The Terriers fall to the losers' bracket of the tournament to face No. 4 Mercer tonight. The game is scheduled to start no earlier than 7:30 p.m.