ALBERTVILLE, Ala. - The Union University softball split a pair of games on the opening day of the Alabama Huntsville Charger Chillout. Union lost the first game to No. 16 University of Indianapolis, 14-3, and then bounced back for an 8-4 win over Maryville (Mo.) University in the second game. Union improved to 1-6 overall. 

The Lady Bulldogs also gave interim head coach, Sydney Sturner, her first career coaching victory. 

In the bounce-back game versus Maryville, Union trailed 2-0 after Maryville got runs in the top of the first and third innings. Union scored eight unanswered runs with a score in the third, two in the fourth, and five in the sixth. Maryville tacked on two in the top of the seventh. Union took the lead for good in the fourth when Zoey Neal hit a 2-run home run. The big blow in the sixth for Union was a bases-clearing triple by Morgan Jennings. Riley Vaughn (1-2) earned the win with a complete game, allowing six hits, four runs, three earned, and seven strikeouts. Zoey Neal and Jennings were both 2-for-3, while Idalia Alarcon was 3-for-3 with two runs scored. 

In the first game versus NCAA No. 16 Indianapolis, Union scored first in the top of the first on a Macey Neal home run. Indy put up 14 unanswered runs. Union added two runs in the fifth when Macey Neal drove in two more runs on a double. Macey Neal was 2-for-3 with three RBI while Jennings recorded Union's only other hit. Kira Finkley (0-2) took the loss, allowing five runs in 1/3 of an inning. Addison Abell tossed the final 3.2 innings, allowing nine runs with three strikeouts. 

Union will continue in the Charger Chillout Saturday with games versus Spring Hill at 9 a.m. and Carson-Newman at 2 p.m. The game times have been moved up two hours from the original times due to incoming weather. 

-UNION-