GREENVILLE, S.C. (Interstat) — The Samford Bulldogs defeated the Western Carolina Catamounts 9-5 on Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the 2026 Southern Conference Baseball Championship at Greenville.

Samford, now 30-24, scored five runs in the first inning and added two in the fourth on a single by Gandy and a wild pitch. Jeffrey Ince doubled in two runs in the sixth, and Luke Boykin added an RBI double in the seventh. Ince homered in the eighth and Boykin capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the ninth.

Western Carolina, now 35-22, got on the board in the sixth on a fielding error. Mason Holton hit a two-run homer in the seventh, and Noah Quarless added a two-run shot in the eighth. Both teams finished with 11 hits.

John Whitney earned the win for Samford, and Carter Burnette took the loss for Western Carolina. The Bulldogs have won three of their last four games, while the Catamounts had won three straight entering the contest.