The Union softball team’s season is officially in full swing after the team started 2-2 at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Youngsville, La. last weekend, playing games on Feb. 2 and Feb. 4.
This season is the start of a new chapter under head coach Sydney Sturner, who was impressive as the interim coach, leading the team to the GSC tournament last year. The Bulldogs return most of their star players this year, including Macey Neal, senior exercise science major, who was named Preseason All-GSC and was First team All-GSC Last year. She led the team at the Mardi Gras Invitational with 3 RBI’s.
“I think just being better than the day before is something we do great together as a team and is going to help us win a lot of games,” Neal said. “Also, our pitching staff this year is really going to help us win a lot of games, they performed very well all weekend.”
As well as many returners, Union has signed five new players. The signing class includes two transfers, both of whom made an immediate impact in the first four games this season. Transfer Lainey Baker, a sophomore mathematics major, pitched a seven-inning shutout and struck out seven in her first win as a Bulldog.
“To be honest the first of the two games I pitched this past weekend did not go well at all, but everyone of my teammates and coaches still had all the faith in the world in me,” Baker said. “It was because of their encouragement and their confidence in me that I was able to pitch a shutout the next game, knowing that my teammates had my back every step of the way.”
Union had a hard start to the season at the Mardi Gras Invitational starting 0-2. After a heartbreaking 4-5 loss to Southern Arkansas, who scored 4 runs in the final inning to win the game, they closed out the invitational by winning 2-0 against Southeastern Oklahoma and 2-1 against Southern Nazarene.
The Bulldogs will hope to keep the momentum going into the rest of the season as they head to Columbus, Ga. for the Columbus State Classic Feb. 9-10. This will be their last games before conference play begins. The team will look to make it back to the GSC tournament and make it further than last year.