BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The battle of the Bulldogs went to Samford this weekend as the home team picked up four wins over Butler at Joe Lee Griffin Field. After a lopsided victory on Friday, Samford returned to the diamond to sweep Butler in Saturday's doubleheader and remained perfect on the weekend with a 12-2 victory on Sunday.

Saturday's doubleheader started with a 16-1 Samford win that featured the home team scoring at least one run in every inning except in the first. A four-run fourth and a five-run seventh went down as the most damage with Samford scoring their 16 runs off 22 hits. Butler was limited to just one run by recording six hits.

Chris Maranto and Garrett Christman were the top two performers in game one of the DH with Maranto going 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Christman struck out twice, but was able to match Maranto with two hits in his four at-bats.

Maranto's second RBI of the season came off a solo home run that cleared the wall in left centerfield. The Bulldog offense in general was slowed down by the one-two punch of Tristan Widra and Josh Rich. Widra earned the win by shutting out BU over the first five frames. Rich took the save by finishing off the final four innings.

The loss fell to Danny Pobereyko who was touched up with six runs off eight hits in just four innings. He struck out four, but walked three early in the game. Josh Goldberg, Ottavio Dattolo, Tyler Rathjen and Sam Hubbe also spent time on the hill.

Game two of the doubleheader was hands down the most competitive tilt between the two Bulldog clubs. Butler jumped out in front in this one by scoring a single run off a wild pitch. Samford would get two runs across in the bottom half of the inning, but BU countered with another run in the second to knot the score at 2-2.

Butler would take advantage of another wild pitch in the top of the fifth to take a slim 3-2 lead, but the home team would push a run across in the sixth and seventh to pull out the 4-3 win.

Drew Small was the top Bulldog offensively with a 2-for-5 outing that included an RBI and a run scored. Defensively the start went to Nick Morton who kept BU in the game throughout the first five innings. He stuck out two and walked one before being replaced by Quentin Miller who wore the loss.

The game-tying run was a solo shot to left center by Austin Edens and the game-winning run would cross home plate after a single to left center. Each score came with Miller on the bump although the game-winner would go down as unearned.

The getaway game got off to a rocky start as Samford opened up an 8-0 lead after two innings. BU got on the board with a run in the third followed by a score in the fourth, but it wouldn't be enough to get in the win column.

All seven hits were scattered through the park by a different player. Christman and Michael Hartnagel each recorded doubles while Small and Mike Kseniak were credited with RBIs.

BU went with Connor Mitchell on the hill at the start of the game, but he would be pulled after two innings with Samford opening up the large lead. The 'Dawgs pitched by committee down the stretch, but the slow start was just too much to overcome.

Butler will move forward by playing at Charleston Southern this coming weekend Feb. 26-28. The first game of the three-game series will feature a 6 PM opening pitch.