CLERMONT, Fla. – The Union College softball team faced off against a pair of NESCAC teams, Colby College and Middlebury College, on Sunday afternoon from Legends Way Ballfields. Colby beat Union 12-2 in five innings and Middlebury topped Union 12-10.

Senior Olivia Valery plated five RBIs in game two and Karson Saunders went 5-5 in the two games  with a double and triple as well as two RBI and two runs scored.

Game 1: Colby College 12, Union College 2 (5 innings)

The Mules (5-1) gave Union all they could handle in the first two innings scoring eight runs in the two innings. Colby had nine batters bat in the first inning and jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first half inning.

Union (0-3) cut into the Colby lead in the bottom half of the first inning. Senior Tara Hartnett walked to start the game. Saunders tripled to score Hartnett from first. First-year earned her first collegiate RBI with a single that scored Saunders, cutting the lead to 4-2 Colby.

The Mules then scored a run in every inning but the fifth and rolled to a 12-2 win in five innings over Union. Senior Amanda Granato (0-2) took the loss with two innings of work and allowing six earned runs. First-year Riley Jahnle made her collegiate debut in three innings of relief work, striking out two batters.
 
Game 2: Middlebury College 12, Union College 10

Union (0-4) jumped on Middlebury early in game two. After two walks and single that loaded the bases for Union, Valery singled to right field and scored all three runners to give Union an early 3-0 in the top of the first. Sophomore Autumn Duff singled in classmate Nahnny Sobetzko to extend the lead to 4-0.

The Panthers (4-0) cut in to the Union lead with two runs in the bottom of the first. In the top half of the second inning, Hartnett doubled to start the inning. Saunders singled and moved Hartnett to third base. Hartnett later scored on and error to make it 5-2 Union. Saunders advanced to third on a pass ball and scored on a single from Wintringer. Union led 6-2 through two innings of play.

The garnet and white continued to pour on the pressure, scoring three more times in the third. Granato singed to start the inning off. Hartnett walked to put two runners on base. Sophomore Riley Callahan singled, scoring Granto from second. Saunders then singled into left field, scoring Hartnett. Valery then plated Callahan with a single of her own, giving Union a 9-2 lead.

Middlebury scored one run in the bottom half of the third to trail 9-3. The Panthers rallied in the bottom of the fourth, scoring eight runs in the frame on seven hits and a walk to grab an 11-9 lead through four innings of play. Callahan scored for the second time on a single for Valery, her fifth RBI of the game. Union pulled within one run, before falling 12-10 to the Panthers.

The last player for Union to have RBIs in a game was Valery, who did so on March 27, 2021 against Skidmore. Duff (0-1) made her first start of the season, throwing 5.0 innings and striking out two batters. Sophomore Melody Kappel threw one inning of relief and struck out one batter.

Union looks to earn their first win of the season on Tuesday, March 21, when they face off against Buffalo State at 11:30 a.m. followed by Bowdoin at 2 p.m.