Samford is playing East Tennessee State for the championship of the Southern Conference’s baseball tournament on Sunday after beating Mercer 5-1 on Saturday night.

But no line score could do justice to how the Bulldogs reached the championship round at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.

With second-seeded Samford leading fourth-seeded Mercer 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Bulldogs center fielder Michael Gupton slammed a two-run homer over the center-field fence.

Gupton didn’t so much run around the bases on his four-bagger as he strutted, skipped and generally appeared to be letting his opponents know what he thought about them.

That sparked a reaction from the Bears that led to several players being restrained, and the situation became contentious enough that Michael Cross, the commissioner of the Southern Conference, went on the field to speak with the umpires – after Mercer’s players had walked off the field.

In the end, the umpires decided to eject Gupton, Mercer shortstop Bradley Frye, Mercer pitching coach Tanner Gordon and Samford assistant Gil Walker. Also escorted away was Frye’s mother after she jumped on the top of Mercer’s dugout and other Bears fans who followed her lead.

After a delay of almost half an hour, the game resumed, but bad blood remained.

Mercer third baseman Brant Baughcum was ejected for giving Samford second baseman Jeffrey Ince an extra shove after tagging him out on a rundown to end the bottom of the sixth. Samford coach Miles Gentry also was ejected.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.