For Greenville softball coach Donna Sunnycalb, she knew coming in that this season was going to be a learning experience for her Lady Tigers.

he inherited a team with two seniors and five juniors, three sophomores and a boatload of eighth and ninth graders.

They took the field for the first time Thursday night at the Lady Tiger Softball Complex to face the Andalusia Lady Bulldogs.

The result was also not how the first-year coach would have anticipated.

The Lady Bulldogs started the game by putting two runs on the board early and ending the first inning leading 3-0.

Greenville tried to answer back in the bottom of that inning when Nicole Pouncey and Tanesha Womack

drew walks their anemic offense ended their.

Tara Gibson struck out looking for the first out and then Mitchell was thrown out going to third on a fielder's choice off of a hit from Kairee Newton.

Womack ended the inning when she was caught trying to steal third base.

The Lady Bulldogs tacked on another run

at the top of the next inning, but Lady Tiger pitcher Brittany White recorded her second strike out of the night and then forced the next batter to fly out to Danita Crenshaw in centerfield.

Things weren't clicking for Greenville in the bottom of the inning. Kendra Mitchell went down on strikes so did Nicole Norton, who went down looking.

Halie Burnett provided the only offensive spark for the Lady Tigers in the bottom of the inning with a two out single to right field. White ended the inning though when she was caught swinging away at the third strike.

The Lady Bulldogs tacked on another run in the top of the fourth inning to push them ahead 4-0.

The freshman White also recorded a third strikeout, this one to end the inning.

White tacked on an additional "k" in the top of the fifth inning to end it.

Andalusia posted a fifth and final run and after walking Womack, were able to retire the Lady Tigers in order.

Gibson and Newton struck out swinging and then Mitchell grounded to the second basemen to end the game.

"We've got to do a lot more hitting and work on fundamentals," said Sunnycalb. "We've got to go back to the basics. We have a week to prepare for St. James. It's going to be a lot tougher. The kids know that they are a tougher team than we saw Thursday night. They've been ranked in 3A for at least two years. I don't think that scares the kids, I just think that more than anything we are going to be working on fundamentals."

The Lady Tigers, however, won't have much of an opportunity to dwell on this loss. They will take the field for the second time of the 2005 season when they play host to the St. James Lady Trojans on March 3 and then will be in action that weekend when they compete in the Lady Trojan Classic in Troy and hosted by Charles Henderson High School.

"I'm looking forward to getting to my starters back. I'm looking forward to getting Amanda Mitchell back and am looking forward to her stepping up and I am also looking forward to getting Kristy Payne back and seeing her step up. Those are two of our older kids and also Mikki Harris when she ever gets back from her knee injury."