BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field to even the series with a 6-3 victory over Missouri State.

It was a 2-0 Samford lead after six innings thanks to Maurice Hampton's two-run home run in the fourth inning before the Bears' offense got going late.

Will Duff was involved in MSU's first two runs, reaching on a strikeout to opening the seventh frame when Samford was unable to complete the out a first base, and scoring with two out on an RBI bunt single from Walker Jenkins. An inning later, Duff drove in Drake Baldwin with a two-out single for a 2-2 tie.

In the bottom of the eighth, Samford's leadoff batter was hit by a pitch and an error on a potential double-play ball left two runners on with nobody out. A sacrifice bunt and two wild pitches gave Samford (13-11) a 4-2 lead, and Hampton followed with another two-run bomb, the Bulldogs' only hit of the inning, for a 6-2 advantage.

Jenkins led off the ninth with a triple and scored on Mason Greer's ground out for the final score, and finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.

The Bears (13-10) got three scoreless innings from Jake McMahill in the start and used four relievers, with Ty Blecha (1-1) take the tough-luck loss despite not allowing a hit in his inning of work.

Duff joined Jenkins with two hits while Grant Wood's streak of reaching safely in 22 consecutive games came to an end.

The series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.