Weekend roundup: What to look for

 Freshman pitcher Breanna Riley prepares to make a pitch during a game earlier this season. The softball team looks to get back in the win column this weekend.

Baseball

At the beginning of the week, the UNA baseball team accomplished something it never has before, being named the No. 1 team in the land, according to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The Lions opened the week proving they were deserving of that ranking by defeating Martin Methodist 7-3 March 27.

During the weekend series, the Lions traveled to play rival Valdosta State and experienced their first road bump of the season as the Blazers took the series, winning two out of three games. The losses gave the Lions a 25-9 (7-5) record and their first series loss of the season.

Johnny Hornbuckle (5-4) took the loss in game one, allowing 7 runs on 13 hits. In game two Chad Boughner (6-2) got his fourth straight win but had one of his worst outings of the season, allowing 6 runs. In game three, Michael Watkins (5-1) took the loss, allowing 4 runs in the game.

The No. 4 Lions will play No. 3 Delta State at Mike Lane Field this weekend in a battle of top five teams. The Statesmen swept defending champion West Florida last weekend on the road, tying the Lions in the conference at 7-5. The series is scheduled to begin with a double-header on April 6 starting at 2 p.m. followed by a game on April 7 starting at 1 p.m.

Softball

After holding leads late in each game, the UNA softball team fell victim to a pair of West Florida rallies on April 1 as the home team West Florida Argonauts recorded a 5-2, 3-2 sweep in Gulf South Conference play. The two losses drop the Lions to 14-13 overall and 5-9 in league action.

With the loss, the Lions drop to fifth place in the GSC standings while West Florida is tied with UAH for second place.

Jayda Terry was 3-for-3 at the plate to lead UNA. Julie Mercer also went 2-for-4 while Shelby Goodman picked up two RBIs with a 2-run single during game one against the Argonauts but blew a 2-0 lead, taking a 5-2 loss in game one.

UNA held brief 1-run leads again in the top of the first and fifth innings. The Argonauts answered to tie the game each time in the bottom of the innings. With the scored tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, UWF got a lead-off double from Kasie Buckley and a walk-off RBI single by Lauren Correia to complete the sweep.

The Lions will travel to both Valdosta State and West Georgia for double-headers beginning on April 6 at 12 p.m. against Valdosta State. The Lions will then play West Georgia starting at 11 p.m. on April 7.

Tennis

On March 29, the women’s tennis team pulled off an upset against No. 30 Georgia College, according to the NCAA poll and State at the UWF Tennis Complex in Pensacola, Fla.

UNA (8-7) swept doubles play but came out flat in singles competition. Georgia College dominated the middle of the lineup, winning spots two, three, four and five. A 6-1, 6-2 victory by Madison Patey at the No. 6 position kept the match close and set the stage for a winner-take-all at No. 1 singles.

After falling 6-3 in the opening set, the Lions’ Victoria Rees evened the match with a 6-1 win at the top spot. The senior from Cheltenham, England, trailed 3-2 in the decisive set before rallying for the 6-3 victory to give UNA the overall win.

The men’s and women’s teams will travel to rival UAH on April 6 beginning at 2 p.m.