JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University softball team dropped three games to the Lady Statesmen of Delta State University Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 6. The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 5-20 on the season and 2-10 in Gulf South Conference play. Delta State maintained their perfect league record, improving to 12-0 in league play and 20-4 on the season.
 
The first game, on Saturday, was all DSU. The Lady Statesman won 17-2, scoring three runs in the first inning, five runs in the second inning, and nine runs in the seventh inning. Union's two runs came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Whitney Christian singled up the middle to score Rachel Ridolfi and Reagan Schrader. Paige Taylor took the loss for the Lady Bulldogs going one inning giving up eight runs on eight hits.
 
In the second game of the Saturday double-header, Delta State got the win 12-5. DSU scored two runs in the top of the first inning on Jordan Jones single to right center to score Morgan Kazerooni and Gibson, both runs were unearned. The Lady Bulldogs answered in the bottom of the inning scoring two runs to tie the game. Haley Barnette singled to score Emily Bennett who got a leadoff walk. Ridolfi came around to score on a wild pitch later in the inning.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Union took their first lead of the weekend, scoring two runs. Marley Dyess reached on an error by Delta State's third baseman to lead off the inning, and came around to score on a triple by Bennett. Bennett scored on a ground out by Ridolfi to get their second run of the inning. The Lady Statesman busted the game open in the top of the sixth inning scoring six runs and scoring four runs in the top of the seventh, setting the final score at 12-5.
 
Hailey Cummings took the loss of the mound for Union going six innings giving up 10 runs, seven earned, on 10 hits. Offensively, the Lady Bulldogs had seven players get one hit each, and Emily Bennett, Rachel Ridolfi, and Haley Barnette added one RBI each.
 
In the single game Sunday, Delta State won 5-3. DSU took the lead early, scoring one run in the second inning, two runs in the third inning, and one run in the fifth inning. The Lady Bulldogs started to chip away at the Lady Statesman's lead scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Schrader hit a shot into left center to score Bennett and Dyess who both singled earlier in the inning. Delta State answered in the top of the sixth inning when Pepper Baker hit a homer over the left field fence. Union got the run back in the bottom part of the inning. Madison Tennyson laced a double to fence in center field to score pinch-runner Anna Morris. Both teams were unable to score in the seventh inning, setting the final score 5-3.
 
Hailey Cummings took the loss going all seven innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits. Cummings struck out three DSU batters. Reagan Schrader and Emily Bennett led the Lady Bulldogs with two hits each, and Schrader led with two RBIs.
 
-UNION-