On Wednesday, March 13, Union University’s softball team played two away games against the University of North Georgia at the Shea Brothers Stadium in the Thunderbolt Complex. The Lady Bulldogs lost both games with North Georgia winning 7-0.
This doubleheader marked the second time this season that the Bulldogs played North Georgia, both cases resulting in a loss for Union.
In the first game, North Georgia took the lead from the first half until the finish, their team getting a total of seven runs, 11 hits and six runs batted in. Union got no runs or runs batted in but got four hits, two by Denise Pauletich and one from Morgan Jennings and Rylee Moore.
In the second game, North Georgia raised their stats making seven runs, seven runs batted in and ten hits. Union’s stats remained the same in those areas, with the same players getting hits.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, the team also played three away games against Lee University on March 7 and 8. The team was able to get in one victory but took a loss in their final match.
“We’re not exactly going the way we want and I think that it’s about how we get back up from that and grow from it,” Courtney Marler, a junior and exercise science major, said.
According to Marler, the increase in injured players has played a huge part in the team’s struggle to succeed this season.
“We lost a big hitter a couple of weekends ago and we’ve lost some key infielders and had to stick some people in positions,” Marler said. “How we started and how we look now, it’s just a big difference.”
“Just loss in itself is hard on everybody mentally, so just figuring out how to get out of that rut, that’s been pretty hard too. But I think we’re doing a good job of rising above it for what we can and using what we have,” Marler said.
North Georgia is a leader in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC), as they have a 6-game winning streak in their conference (6-0), and an overall 14-game winning streak overall(21-4). They presented a tough competition for Union as the Bulldogs also lost to North Georgia by an 11-3 mark in early February.
Camryn Langley, a sophomore exercise science major, revealed her thoughts after the games.
“It wasn’t the outcome we had hoped for but I’ve also seen improvement and growth from the beginning of the season to now,” Langley said.
Marler explained that she doesn’t allow the losses to discourage her. She instead focuses on getting back up and trying again.
“Sometimes staying positive is the hardest part about the whole entire game and that’s not on any score sheet anywhere. I think that’s where the best players are separated is their attitudes and how they continue to stay positive through the good and the bad,” Marler said.
Despite the disappointing losses, the Bulldogs still believe that Union has a shot at rising in the ranks. Union is now 5-19 (3-8 in the conference), maintaining a 3-time losing streak, but their intentions are to remain determined through the rest of the season.
The Lady Bulldogs will play Trevecca Nazarene University twice on March 14 and once on March 16 at the Trevecca Softball Complex.
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