BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — Defying preseason projections, the Belmont Bruins erupted for eight runs in the second inning and cruised to a 14-4 victory over the Samford Bulldogs in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday at Joe Lee Griffin Stadium.

Interstat’s ELO system had given Samford a 69.6% probability to win, but Belmont’s offense rendered that forecast irrelevant early, amassing 17 hits to Samford’s four.

The game’s decisive turn came in the top of the second inning, with Belmont already leading. The Bruins sent 13 batters to the plate against three Samford pitchers, transforming a quiet contest into a rout. The onslaught began with a walk to JD Whitworth and a double by Cavan McMean. After Jake Maddox was hit by a pitch, Noah Burnham cleared the bases with a three-run double to left field, making it 3-0.

Samford starter Palmer O’Beirne was relieved after recording just one out in the inning, but the change did not stem the tide. Charlie Davi bunted for a single, stole second, and then scored alongside Burnham on a two-run single by Landon Godse. Michael Lare followed with a single, and Brody Langlo drove Godse home with an RBI double. A groundout by Nicholas Sti brought in another run, and after a sacrifice bunt, McMean capped the historic inning with an RBI single to center, scoring Langlo. When the inning finally ended on a lineout, Belmont held an 8-0 lead.

Samford’s lone bright spot offensively was a solo home run by designated hitter Charlie Bozeman in the bottom of the second. The Bulldogs added two more in the sixth on a two-run homer by Boykin and a final unearned run in the seventh on a fielder’s choice and a Belmont throwing error.

Belmont starter Tate Marland earned the win, working five strong innings and allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four. The Bruins’ bullpen preserved the large lead despite some late traffic on the bases.

Belmont added single runs in the fifth and seventh innings, then put the game fully out of reach with a three-run seventh. In that frame, the Bruins scored once on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded and another on a wild pitch, before Whitworth delivered a two-run single to center.

With the victory, both teams moved to 1-1 on the young season. The two teams were scheduled to conclude the doubleheader later Friday. Belmont will continue its road swing at Samford again on Saturday, while Samford will host Alabama on Tuesday.