Bulldog Softball Moves To 2-1 On Year With Saturday Split In Florida

Bulldog Softball Moves To 2-1 On Year With Saturday Split In Florida

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team opened action in the Florida Rebel Spring Games on Saturday (March 8) and split a pair of contests to push their record to 2-1 overall on the season.

The Bulldogs, who topped Notre Dame College (Ohio) by a 9-4 score in their season opener on Friday night at the NTC Games in Clermont, opened the Florida Rebel Spring Games with a narrow 8-6 setback to Northern State (S.D.) before responding with a 5-3 triumph over Adelphi (N.Y.) at the DiamondPlex facility in Winter Haven, Fla.

In the opening game of the day against Northern State, the Bulldogs bolted out to a 5-0 lead after the opening inning and the score stood until the Wolves finally scored four runs in the third to close the gap.

FSU pushed the lead to 6-4 with a single run in the fourth before the Wolves answered again with four runs in the top of the sixth to take a two-run lead. The Bulldogs put a runner on base in the seventh, but could not muster any runs in the setback.

The Bulldogs were led at the plate by Megan Galganski, who netted two hits and drove in two runs. Both Taylor Verbic and Amy Dunleavy also had an RBI as did Jordan Maxwell and Hallie Utter

FSU utilized three different pitchers in the contest with freshman Megan Hiler hurling three innings of work and allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Cara DeLange struck out six in three and two-thirds innings while giving up four runs on only two hits. 

In game two, the Bulldogs scored the first run of contest in the top of the opening inning and added four more in the top of the fourth to build a 5-0 edge. Adelphi put its only three runs of the game on the board in the bottom of the fourth, but was held scoreless again over the final three frames as FSU prevailed.

Ferris State was outhit by Adelphi 9-7 for the day, but the opposition had three errors in the field to none for the Bulldogs.

Bulldog senior pitcher Amy Dunleavy earned the win to push her mark to 2-0 on the year as she tossed six innings while allowing three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Stacy Thompson pitched in relief and earned the save with a single scoreless frame.

Offensively, shortstop Sarah Johnson paced the Bulldogs at the plate with two RBI's. Johnson recorded a double and second baseman Michelle Tononi also had an RBI for FSU. Sophomore center fielder Alyssa Smith tallied two hits while Tononi, Dunleavy, Megan Galganski, Taylor Verbic and Johnson all had a single each hit.

Lindsay Mapes took the loss in the circle for Adelphi after allowing five runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Adelphi hit four doubles at the plate and three different players had a pair of hits each in Niki Barbato, Mary O'Reilly and Christina Palmentri.

Ferris State, now 2-1 under first-year head coach Sarah Rotta, will continue action in Florida by playing 10 more contests at the Florida Rebel Spring Games.

The Bulldogs next square off on Sunday (March 9) against Glenville State (W.Va.) and Minnesota State with game times set for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (ET), respectively.