BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Despite five home runs and a seven-run fourth inning, Columbia baseball was defeated by Samford, 10-8, on Wednesday at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Columbia held an 8-4 lead in the seventh inning before Samford stormed back and scored six runs in the inning. Lions pitchers surrendered six walks and a three-run home run in the inning to fall behind 10-8. Columbia (5-7) wasn't able to rally in the final two innings. Samford moves to 7-10 on the season.

Griffin Palfrey, Andy Blake, Weston Eberly, Cole Fellows, and Miles Blackwell all belted home runs for the Lions. Through 12 games this season, Columbia has hit 18 home runs. Last season through 12 games, the Lions had a dozen home runs. 

In his first career start on the mound, Thomas Santana worked out of trouble in the first inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Santana got a ground ball and Blake handled it for the easy turn to retire the side.

Columbia got on the board first for the ninth-straight game. Fellows smacked his first career home run in the second inning to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. 

The Bulldogs tied it the next half inning when Garrett Howe scored on a wild pitch. Santana was able to work out of a jam again as Samford loaded the bases for the second-straight inning. After hitting three batters in the second, Santana got Stephen Klein to pop out to center field to end the frame. 

Samford took a 2-1 lead in the third on a John Anderson solo home run off Derek Yoo.

The Lions exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning on four home runs from Eberly, Blackwell, Palfrey, and Blake. After Hayden Schott drew a walk to leadoff the fourth, Eberly clobbered his second home run of the season to put the Lions right back in front, 3-2. Blackwell's first career home run brought in three more to make it 6-2. Two batters later Palfrey went back-to-back with Blake to give Columbia an 8-2 advantage. 

Samford added a run in the fourth on an RBI double from Klein in Yoo's second inning of work. Yoo was tagged with two runs allowed on four hits that included two strikeouts in his fourth appearance of the season. The Bulldogs then cut Columbia's lead in half at 8-4 in the sixth with a two-out RBI single by Lucas Steele off AJ Valle in his season debut. Will Parkinson came in and struck out Howe to leave the bases loaded.

Columbia heads to New Orleans, La. for the final three games of its spring break trip against Tulane beginning on Friday. First pitch in the series opener from Greer Field at Turchin Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET. 

For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.