JACKSON, Tenn. – On Mar. 27, the Union University softball team played their second midweek doubleheader of the week, this time against Henderson State University. Union won both games 3-0 and 4-2, respectively. With the wins, Union improves to 22-14 overall, and Henderson State falls to 13-20 overall.
In game one, all the scoring happened in the top of the first. Mackenzi David singled to drive in Macey Neal. Then Brooke Puckett reached on an error with Zoey Neal and David scoring on the play.
The Lady Bulldogs had nine hits and were led by Bryleigh Carneal who went 2-3. Morgan Jennings, Macey Neal, Courtney Marler, Zoey Neal, Mallory Hildebrand, Sarah Kate Thompson, and David had one hit apiece.
The story of the game was Union starter Lainey Baker who threw a complete game shutout while only allowing one hit and striking out seven. Baker was three outs away from a perfect game, but Henderson State’s Jorika Alvarez led off the seventh inning with a single up the middle to take away the opportunity. With the win, Baker is now 8-5 on the season.
Game two was a tight eight-inning contest. Union took the lead 1-0 in the first courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Zoey Neal to score Jennings. The Reddies tied the game in the third because of a throwing error. However, the Lady Bulldogs took the lead right back in the fourth when David laid down a sacrifice bunt. Henderson State knotted the game up in their half of the fourth, and the score remained 2-2 until the eighth inning when Macey Neal hit a clutch go-ahead single to bring in Camryn Langley and Thompson, putting Union on top 4-2. The Lady Bulldogs held the Reddies in the bottom of the eighth to seal the victory.
Union had eight hits in the game. Courtney Marler led the offense, going 3-4, and Macey Neal, Kira Finkley, Jennings, Langley, and Thompson each had one hit.
Riley Vaughn started in the circle for the Lady Bulldogs, pitching five innings and allowing two runs (both unearned) on three hits. She also struck out seven and walked six in her outing. Emily Claire Felder threw three innings in relief, giving up only one hit and striking out two. Felder got the win, bringing her season record to 5-5 overall.
Up next, the Lady Bulldogs travel to Pensacola, Fla., for a three-game series with GSC opponent the University of West Florida. Games one and two are scheduled to be played on Apr. 5 with a start time of 1:00 p.m.
