JACKSON, Tenn. – Grant Ross hit his first two home runs of the season in back-to-back plate appearances, Bulldog starter Eli Snelson hurled 7.2 innings, and the Union University baseball team defeated West Florida 7-5 on Friday night at Fesmire Field.
 
Five Bulldogs recorded two hits in the victory, and Union improved to 11-16 (5-10 GSC) and 5-2 against West Florida in Casey McGehee's tenure. The Argos fell to 17-10 (11-5).
 
Ross, whose 12 homers last season placed him in a tie for seventh in the GSC, continued to search for his first of 2025 until the second inning of Friday's contest, when the junior first baseman sent a ball over the center field wall to level the game at a run apiece. Two innings later, Ross smacked another round-tripper beyond the right field fence, giving Union a 2-1 lead and the team's first individual multi-home run night since Ross homered twice against UAH on April 26 last season. Ross now claims 17 collegiate home runs and four multi-homer games. He finished 2-3 with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
 
Snelson allowed 11 hits and struck out six in his 7.2 innings on the mound, his second-longest start of the season. He was relieved by Ethan Orwig, Briant Bazydlo, and Lane Evans, who was credited with a three-out save.
 
Union's total of 12 hits set a team-high in GSC play; the team is 5-0 overall when accumulating at least a dozen knocks. Dyllon Barrett, Carson Chavies, Hudson Cepparulo, and Elijah Ramsey tallied two hits apiece. Chavies and Ross extended their on-base streaks to 15 and 10 games.
 
The three-game set will conclude Saturday with a noon doubleheader.
 
-UNION-