Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Union University Lady Bulldogs faced off against the Henderson State University Reddies in a doubleheader at Fesmire Softball Field in Jackson, Tennessee. Despite a resilient effort, Union fell short in both games, with scores of 3-2 and 5-0.
No scores were made in the opening game until the sixth inning, when Union’s offense took off. Hailey Sipes, senior biology major, led with a single and advanced on a walk to Camryn Langley, sophomore and exercise science major. Brooke Puckett, senior cell and molecular biology major, then delivered a clutch two-out double, driving in Sipes and Langley to give the Lady Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
In the seventh inning, the Reddies capitalized on a Union error to tie the game. In extra innings, Henderson State managed to push across the go-ahead run, securing a 3-2 victory. Riley Vaughn, Union’s pitcher and a junior exercise science major, gave a commendable performance. Vaughn pitched a complete game and allowed only one earned run while striking out 11 batters.
In the second match, Henderson State’s offense struck early. They scored in the first inning and added to their lead in the fourth and fifth. Union’s bats were stifled by Reddies’ pitcher, who tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five.
Kira Finkley, a Union starter and senior cell and molecular biology major, pitched 4.1 innings and surrendered five runs on seven hits.
Despite the setbacks, the Lady Bulldogs remain focused on opportunities for growth.
“We have had a slower start to the season than we would like, and this has revealed some areas for us to work on,” Finkley said. “Some of these areas we have already made big strides in improving. There is a lot of season left, and if we continue to improve at the rate that we have, I think things are going to start turning around for us very soon.”
“One of the biggest challenges for us so far this year is learning how to be resilient after a loss. We have put a big emphasis on having the grit to come back even stronger the next game when the outcomes haven’t gone our way. This means not holding on to any emotions or thoughts about our physical performance when going into the next game,” Finkley said.
The Lady Bulldogs showcased that resilience and will look to build on their experiences as they prepare for their upcoming series against Mississippi College on March 1.