PENSACOLA, Fla. – Another weekend of Gulf South Conference Softball is on the slate for the West Florida Argonauts (23-12, 12-6) as they prepare for their penultimate home series of the 2024 season. This time, the Union Bulldogs (22-14, 11-7) step into the UWF Softball Complex to face the Argos. 
 
UWF is riding a nine-game win streak including three straight conference sweeps over Christian Brothers, Delta State and Shorter. The Argos currently sit in a three-way tie for third best conference record with Mississippi College and Alabama-Huntsville. Union sits right below them with the fourth best record. 
 
West Florida is currently on a two-game losing streak to the Bulldogs after dropping both games of a doubleheader Jackson, Tenn. in February 2023 and having the third game cancelled due to weather. Prior to that, UWF was on a nine-game win streak over Union dating back to March of 2018. Overall, the Argos are 22-6 in the series history which began in 2013. 
 
Offensive update: 
 
The historic year at the plate continues for the Argonauts as they continue to light up the scoreboard in 2024. UWF softball is second nationally in doubles per game at 2.31 and third in overall home runs with 63. The team slugging percentage is .640, good enough for second nationally as well. They have accounted for 263 total runs which places them at the fourteenth most of any team in the country. In the GSC, the Argos are at least top four in almost every major hitting statistic and average. 
 
West Florida has three players in the top 10 in on base + slugging metric in the GSC, the most of any team. Jessie Baughan and Madelyn Vasquez have the fifth and sixth best OPS at 1.403 and 1.367 respectively. Baughan is also tied for first in the conference with 14 doubles this year. Gianna Guerriero sits at ninth with a 1.309. Guerriero's .464 batting average is also the sixth best average in the conference and her four triples this year is second most.
 
Erin Moon earned an NFCA Selected Top Performance honor for her .700 batting average last weekend against Shorter. She is the seventh Argo to earn that honor this year and marks the fifth week in a row a UWF softball player has made the list.  
 
Improved Pitching:
 
Hannah Harper also earned a spot on the NFCA Selected Top Performances List for her two shutouts in 10 innings pitched against Shorter. Her ERA has only improved in recent weeks, joining Montana Young in adding a couple shutouts to her season resume. Their team ERA is now sixth best in the conference at 4.85.
 
Young's 3.95 ERA is top 15 in the GSC, and she is also top 10 in strikeouts with 76. The tandem has started every game this year for the Argos and are third and fourth in the conference in innings pitched. Young's 13 wins are also the third highest total in the GSC. Her .267 opposing batting average is no. 11 in the conference as well. 
 
Weekend Schedule:
 
Friday, April 5 (DH): 1:00 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. CT - Bingo Night
Saturday April 6: 1:00 p.m. CT – College of Business Day of Play
 
Scouting Union: 
 
The Bulldogs are on a three-game win streak after sweeping a midweek doubleheader against Henderson State and splitting against Ouachita Baptist in a twin bill the day before. They are coming off a bye-weekend and dropped a 1-2 series against No. 17 Auburn-Montgomery back on March 23-24. 
 
Union boasts one of the deepest bullpens in the GSC, with four pitchers with at least six starts and three wins. Their 2.92 team ERA is the second best behind Mississippi College and their 266 total strikeouts leads the conference.
 
Addison Abell (3-1) leads the GSC with a 2.35 ERA through her six starts. Just behind her at 2.48 is Lainey Baker (7-6), who is third in the conference in both ERA and strikeouts (117). Emily Claire Felder and Riley Vaughan are other options for the Bulldogs, with Felder owning an 2.98 ERA that is ninth best in the GSC, and Vaughan maintaining a 3.84 ERA with the ninth most strikeouts in conference at 77. 
 
Macey Neal has had a productive senior season and is the leader in most batting statistics for Union. The senior infielder leads the team with a .431 average, 1.235 OPS, 36 runs, 53 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, and 40 RBI. Courtney Marler and Morgan Jennings have offered consistent run support for the bulldogs as well. Marler owns a .396 average with 44 hits and 24 runs while Jennings .317 average is built on 39 hits and 30 runs. Zoey Neal has also developed a power hitting threat with seven home runs on the year.
 
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Broadcasts and live stats available on GoArgos.com
 
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