GREENSBORO, N.C. – On the Opening Day of the Southern Conference Softball Championship, the No. 3 Samford softball team caged the No. 7 Western Carolina Catamounts by a score of 5-2 on Wednesday at UNCG Softball Stadium. 
 
With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 22-30 overall and will advance in the winner's bracket to play No. 2 and host UNCG Spartans at noon CT on Thursday. Western Carolina drops to 17-34 on the season. 
 
Jordyn Partain got the start in the circle for Samford, but only faced three Catamount batters before being relieved by McKenzie Newcomb. The second team All-SoCon performer hurled seven shutout innings for her ninth win on the season. After settling in, Newcomb only allowed two hits and a walk against seven strikeouts. 
 
Despite only having four hits in the contest, Samford scored five runs with Katie Campbell and Logan Champion each driving in a pair. Sarah Squillace collected two walks and scored twice in the winning effort. 
 
In the top of the first, Partain exited the game with the bases loaded. After a Catamount strikeout, Western Carolina struck first with a two-run single through the right side to capture a 2-0 lead. 
 
Samford answered in the bottom of the frame to get a run back when Squillace came home to score on a Campbell sacrifice fly. The first-inning RBI was Campbell's 50th on the season as she became the first Bulldog in program history to reach the 50 RBI plateau. 
 
A quiet second inning gave way to a loud third frame that saw Samford put up four runs on the scoreboard. The big Bulldog inning got underway with a leadoff McKayla Cothran single and an 11-pitch Squillace walk. Both found their way home on a two-run RBI Champion double down the third base line that put Samford up for good at 3-2. Champion scored a few pitches later on Campbell single up the middle to make it a 4-2 contest. Samford's final run of the game came when Lindsey Nelson worked a bases load walk to score Addison Smith, who was pinch running for Campbell. 
 
Following the breakout inning, Newcomb retired 12 of the final 13 Catamounts that she faced including the last 10 batters of the game to seal the 5-2 victory for the Samford Bulldogs. 
 
UP NEXT
Samford will take on UNCG on Thursday at noon CT and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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