Lady Bulldog softball lost to No. 5 University of North Alabama this past weekend.
Union played a double header Saturday, April 16. In the first game Union came up with only two hits. Both hits came in the fifth inning, one from Hailey Cummings and one from Whitney Christian. Both batters were left on base as Union lost the game, 11-0. The Lady Bulldogs lost the second game 9-0 and finished the weekend on Sunday losing 10-0.
“We just traveled to UNA this weekend, who’s number 5 in the nation, so that’s tough on anybody this late in the season,” Haley Barnette, freshman chemistry major, said.
Barnette received the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Week and Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player of the Week in the beginning of April. She helped Union with their bats as she hit .706 in five games going 7-for-7 against Lane College. She has five home runs on the year with 52 hits.
The Lady Bulldogs did not qualify for the conference tournament so they’re just looking forward to playing one last series together this weekend.
“This next weekend is more just about enjoying playing together, recognizing our seniors and building for next year,” Barnette said.
Union will play at home against University of Alabama at Huntsville this weekend. The Lady Bulldogs will also be honoring their seniors: Whitney Christian, Reagan Schrader and Summer Cross.
Senior accounting major Whitney Christian finds this upcoming weekend bittersweet.
“I’m looking forward to this weekend,” Christian said. “But this will be the last time I will ever play the game at this level.”
Though she’s playing her last weekend at Union, Christian learned a lot during her last season at Union. She fought hard with her team and learned how to persevere through difficult times.
“This season has been tough,” she said. “It has definitely taught us the importance of perseverance and passion. Without those two things, it would have been easy for us to quit and completely give up.”