By Chelsie Kenworthy
Asst. Sports Editor
The Union University baseball team lost to longtime rival and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics-ranked No. 22 opponent Freed-Hardeman University March 14 at Fesmire Field.
The Bulldogs started off the game with junior Wacey Russell grounding out to third base, allowing senior Colton Speed to score the Bulldogs’ first run of the game in the first inning.
The Freed-Hardeman Lions scored their first three runs in the third inning, making the score 3-1 in their favor. The Lions scored two more runs in the top of the fourth inning, bringing the score to 5-1.
The Bulldogs did not score again until the bottom of the fifth inning, when senior Kody Pinson singled up the middle, allowing senior Cole McAdams and junior Russell to score two runs for the Bulldogs, bringing the score to 5-3.
The Bulldogs would fall short 8-4 to the Lions, their longtime rival. Union also lost to the University of West Florida Argos March 16-17. The team is ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II.
The March 16 game was scheduled to begin at noon but was rescheduled after one of the umpires failed to report to the game on time. Once a replacement umpire was found, the games began at 1 p.m.
The Bulldogs began the first inning by scoring three runs off a home run hit by senior Pinson, putting the Bulldogs on the scoreboard and in the lead 3-0.
University of West Florida came back to score three runs in the bottom of the third inning, bringing the West Florida would also score five runs in the top of the fourth inning, putting them in the lead 8-3.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Russell grounded out to first base, advancing senior Colton Speed to second base and helping senior John Reed to advance to third base.
This allowed junior Pierson Waring to score the last run for the Bulldogs, bringing the score to 10-4, University of West Florida. The Bulldogs lost the game.
In the second game of the series March 16, Union went scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Bulldogs scored one run. Union lost to the Argos 4-1.
The third game was played March 17, and the Bulldogs scored their first runs in the bottom of the first inning. First baseman Jim Martin doubled to left field, allowing Speed to score. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning the Bulldogs kept the lead over the University of West Florida Argos, with Martin scoring another run for the Bulldogs.
University of West Florida did not score again until the top of the seventh inning; however, the Bulldogs continued to lead until the finish.
The Bulldogs ended the Argos’ 11-game winning streak and claimed Union’s first victory in 10 games with a score of 5-2.
The Bulldogs are now 4-15 overall and 1-8 in the Gulf South Conference. The next home series is March 23-24 against University of West Georgia.
