JACKSON, Tenn. - The Union University softball team defeated the University of West Georgia 6-5 with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Union improved to 24-27 on the season and 8-23 in the Gulf South Conference. West Georgia dropped to 27-23 overall and 15-16 in league play.
Both teams managed a hit apiece in the first inning but neither team scored in the first frame. Union scored first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Senior
LaDesha Nelson led off with a single. Fellow senior
Hailey Cummings followed with a double to deep left center field to put Union up 1-0. Later in the inning, pinch runner
Marley Dyess scored from third on a sacrifice fly from
Parker Davis.
After having one hit in each of the first two innings, West Georgia improved on that with four hits in the third inning. The Wolves also took advantage of a Union error to answer with three runs in the frame, one being unearned.
Ashley Graves relieved the Union starter,
Parker Davis, and got the final out of the inning.
Neither team scored over the bottom of the third and fourth innings. Then in the top of the fifth, West Georgia added to their lead with a couple more runs.
Gabby Morris relieved Morris in the fifth, getting all three outs, with he last two coming by way of the strikeout.
Union stranded a two-out single from
Emily Bennett in the bottom of the fifth.
Gabby Morris got West Georgia in order in the sixth, including another strikeout.
In the bottom of the sixth, Union got things going again with a lead-off single from
Paige Robertson. After
Emily Boone pinch ran for Robertson, Nelson singled with one out on a bunt setting up first and third. Cummings got her second RBI of the game with a single between short and third to drive in Haley Barnett. Union settled for the one run after the next two batters were retired, setting the deficit to 5-3.
Morris added another strikeout in the seventh and got the help from a diving catch from third baseman
Ashley Scott that turned into a double play to end the inning.
Scott then led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center, her third hit of the game. Bennett followed with a walk and
Anna Morris then pinch ran for Scott.
Gabby Morris singled up the middle to drive in
Anna Morris from second. LaVergne relieved Easterly in the circle and got Robertson to fly out to deep right for the first out of the inning. Bennett, the tying run, moved to third on the fly out while Morris stayed at first. Barnett followed with a ground out to deep short for the second out, but drove in Bennett from third to tie the game 5-5.
Gabby Morris moved to second on the play. Nelson then lined a 1-2 pitch into right-center field, driving in
Gabby Morris from second base to win the game in walk-off fashion.
Scott and Nelson led Union with three hits each, while Robertson and Cummings added two hits each. Cummings led with two RBI while four other Lady Bulldogs had one RBI each.
Gabby Morris (8-12) gets the win after pitching three innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits, no walks and getting four strikeouts.
West Georgia was led by Stella, Spinks, Wallace and Shohr with two hits each. Shohr led with two RBI. Danielle Easterly (8-8) took the loss allowing six runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in six innings of work. Lavergne tossed two-thirds inning of relief in the seventh.
These two teams will wrap up the regular season Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. double-header. Union's season will end after the games, while West Georgia will advance to the GSC Tournament.
-UNION-
