Lynsay Weaver tallied his first homer of the season with a three-run seventh-inning shot.  (Photo by Joe Gorby)
Lynsay Weaver tallied his first homer of the season with a three-run seventh-inning shot. (Photo by Joe Gorby)

Ferris State Drops Tough 1-0 Decision To Grand Valley State In Game One

A fourth-inning run for Grand Valley State made the difference in game one of Wednesday's (April 14) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader as the Lakers registered a 1-0 win over the Ferris State University softball team at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids, Mich.

The contest between the two West Michigan rivals was scoreless through the first three innings before Grand Valley State snapped the string with a run on two hits in the top of the fourth. The Lakers got going offensively in the frame with a leadoff single by pitcher Katie Martin, who then was replaced for pinch runner Jackie Teutsch.  A sacrifice bunt moved Teutsch over to second base and she would eventually tally the lone run on a two-out base hit up the middle of the Ferris State infield from Carli Raisutis off Bulldog freshman pitcher Dana Bowler (Lockport, Ill.). 

Ferris State, which totaled four hits in the contest, was unable to mount any type of scoring threat against GVSU pitcher Katie Martin until the bottom of the seventh inning.  After the first two FSU batters made an out each, sophomore first baseman Chelsea Morris (Jenison) singled to left centerfield.  Freshman Delaney Eubank (Frankfort) came in for Morris in a pinch-running capacity and advanced all the way to third base via junior outfielder Colleen Roney's (Wheaton, Ill./Glen Ellyn Glenbard South) single to right field.  Roney proceeded to second base on the throw into the infield putting runners at third and second base for the Bulldogs.  However, Martin was able to halt a potential rally as junior catcher Rachel Mueller (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valenica) lined out to Lakers' shortstop Maggie Kopas to end the game. 

Katie Martin (9-4) recorded the win for Grand Valley State with four hits and seven strikeouts in seven innings.  The loss spoiled perhaps Dana Bowler's (5-5) best pitching performance of the season as she fanned a season-best 10 GVSU hitters and walked two while giving up just three hits in seven innings of work.

Accounting for Ferris' four hits were senior outfielder Rachel Wade (Canton), Chelsea Morris, Colleen Roney, and junior shortstop Lynsay Weaver (Bay City/All Saints) with one apiece.  Weaver notched the lone extra base hit for either team in the contest with a leadoff double in the sixth inning.  FSU stranded four runners on base while GVSU left five on the base paths.

The Bulldogs fell to 15-11 overall and 6-4 in the GLIAC with the loss while the Lakers climbed to 20-11 overall and 8-3 in conference play. 

Both teams donned pink headbands while the Ferris State coaching staff wore pink shirts in recognition of the Bulldog Athletics Department's Digital Mammography Day for breast cancer awareness.