The Delta State University softball team will open Gulf South Conference play Friday against Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. The Lady Statesmen, with a 2-7 record, will face the 3-8 Lady Bulldogs in a doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, with a third game set for noon Saturday at Union.
Last season, Delta State swept the series at Union’s University Field. The Lady Statesmen aim to build on their recent non-conference success, including a doubleheader sweep of LeMoyne-Owen with scores of 9-1 and 11-0 in West Memphis, Arkansas. In those games, the team hit three inside-the-park home runs, including a grand slam by Kyleigh Wheaton.
Calli McConnell led the Lady Statesmen offensively, batting .450 with nine hits, one triple, and three RBIs. Redshirt freshman Kendal Moore earned her first career win in the 9-1 victory, pitching a complete game with seven strikeouts and no walks. Wheaton posted a .435 batting average, with 10 hits, two home runs, and eight RBIs.
Union enters the series with a 3-8 record. The Lady Bulldogs recently took two of three games against Ouachita Baptist University and will host Delta State for their home opener this weekend. Chloe Jones leads Union’s offense with a .419 batting average, 13 hits, five doubles, one triple, two homers, and nine RBIs. Rylee Moore, a pitcher, sports a 0.84 ERA over 25 innings with 22 strikeouts. She also bats .379 with 11 hits, one double, one triple, and one RBI.
