Softball Wraps Up Home Action With Split

Softball Wraps Up Home Action With Split

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team split a league doubleheader to wrap up its final home action of the 2012 campaign on Sunday (April 22) against Saginaw Valley State at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids.

The Bulldogs captured a 3-1 victory in game one of the rescheduled Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader.  However, SVSU responded by pulling out a 13-12 victory in 10 innings during the second game.

FSU finished the weekend winning three of four outings against the Cardinals to improve to 26-22 overall and 17-13 in GLIAC play.  Saginaw Valley State wrapped up the weekend with a 19-25 mark to go with a 12-18 conference record.

The Bulldogs scored all three of their runs in the opener in the bottom of the second inning.  SVSU managed a single run in the fourth, but could get no closer as the Bulldogs recorded the victory.  Overall, FSU had only three hits in the opener compared to six for the Cardinals, but SVSU also had two errors in the field.

Amy Dunleavy earned the win in game one by giving up only a single run in seven innings of work.  She had two strikeouts and a single walk.  In comparison, Alexa Gehris tossed all six frames for the Cardinals and allowed three runs on three hits with both three walks and three strikeouts.

Dunleavy, senior Chelsea Morris and second baseman Lainee Clay all had one hit each in the first game for the Bulldogs.  Clay and seniors Stephanie Dusendang along with Makenzi Peterson all drove in one run.  Clay registered her 16th double of the year for the Bulldogs' lone extra-base hit.

Both teams increased the offensive production in game two as each squad tallied 18 hits apiece in the nearly three-hour affair. 

After SVSU took a 2-0 lead following the first inning, the Bulldogs answered with five runs in the top of the second.  However, Saginaw Valley State responded back with two in the fourth and it was back and forth the rest of the way.

Ferris State appeared to be in control after a fvie-run fifth inning, but SVSU followed with three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up at 11 apiece.  SVSU scored the go-ahead run in the sixth before Ferris forced extra innings as Peterson scored off a Cardinal error in the seventh.

Neither team was able to score in the eighth or ninth inning.  FSU loaded the bases in the ninth and had two aboard in the 10th, but couldn't come up with a run. Finally, in the bottom of the 10th, SVSU took advantage of the international runner rule. Amanda Kimes was placed on second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and proceeded to score the winning run on an RBI single up the middle from Jordan Randall.

The Bulldogs utilized four different pitchers in the second game as Dana Bowler, Cara DeLange, Emily Carlson and Dunleavy combined for 10 strikeouts and eight walks.  Bowler threw three and two-thirds innings with five strikeouts while Carlson led the way with four and two-thirds innings of work.  She struck out seven and allowed only a single run.

Gehrls picked up the win for the Cardinals by throwing five and two-thirds innings while giving up six hits and a single run.  She was one of three SVSU pitchers to see action as the Cardinals' trio combined for six strikeouts and eight walks.

The Bulldogs were paced at the plate by Dunleavy's four RBI's.  Morgan Kramerich tallied four hits while Morris had three.  Additionally, Kramerich drove in three runs.  Ferris State received home runs from Dunleavy and Morris along with triples from Kramerich, Dusendang and Liz Hamming.  Both Peterson and Lindsey Pettit doubled for FSU.

On the Saginaw Valley State side, Natalie Wellman homered and had three RBI's on two hits.  Jenna Holmes compiled a five-hit game with four RBI's with Lindsay Hayward posted three hits and two runs batted in.

Ferris State wraps up league regular-season action on the road Tuesday (April 24) as the Bulldogs visit Lake Superior State for a twinbill in Sault Ste. Marie beginning at 3 p.m. (ET).

FSU has also officially clinched a berth in the 2012 GLIAC Tournament that will take place next weekend (April 27-29) in Findlay, Ohio.