After a first round game in the Elton Reece Pepsi Classic against the Jackson Academy Eagles, Morgan Academy Senators softball head coach Kay Jones gathered her players behind the dugout.

“I’m proud of what I saw tonight,” Jones said to her players.

The Senators (0-6) fell to the Eagles 9-1 Friday night at the Sportsplex, a result of a young Morgan team hoping to get better as the season goes along. Still, Jones took plenty of positives away from the defeat.

“We saw great improvement in their defense and their hitting, and we’re really just proud of all of them and what they do,” Jones said.

Ansley Smitherman started and finished the game at pitcher for the Senators. Jones was proud of what she saw from her pitcher. Despite allowing nine runs in the game, many runs allowed were from errors.

“[Ansley] is doing a really good job for us and the girls are doing really really well. I’m proud of them,” Jones said.

After falling behind 4-1, Smitherman pitched a pair of strikeouts in the third inning and also got a third batter to fly out. In the bottom of the third inning, Jeni Redd just barely beat the throw to first after laying down a bunt.

Redd’s teammates couldn’t follow up with a hit to send her home, and Morgan’s bats continued to stay cold in the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth inning, Jackson broke the game wide open. Smitherman allowed back-to-back home runs to the first two batters in the inning. Both times the ball narrowly made it over the fence.

Errors allowed Jackson to add three more runs to the scoreboard. With only one inning to make

up for an eight-run deficit, the Senators were unable to get anything going in the bottom of the fifth inning.

With 21 softball teams in attendance for the Elton Reece Pepsi Classic, Morgan only played one game Friday. The Senators are hopeful they will play more than once on Saturday.

“Confidence comes with improvement and they really are [confident] and they have a good work ethic and we’re just proud of all that they do,” Jones said.

Morgan’s first game Saturday is at 10 a.m. at the Sportsplex.

The Senators’ baseball team will also be in action Saturday at the Morgan baseball field.

The Senators first game is against Kingwood at 10 a.m. and their second game is against Marengo at 2 p.m.