Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team hit the field for day two action on Saturday (Feb. 7) at the Charger Chillout hosted by the University of Alabama-Huntsville, but FSU came out on the short end of a pair of regional decisions in Huntsville.
The Bulldogs suffered a 5-0 setback to St. Joseph's (Ind.) in Saturday's opening game before falling to another regional opponent from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in Southern Indiana in game two by a 6-1 decision.
In the first game, the Pumas took a 1-0 lead early and then added two more runs with a two-out double in the third inning. The 3-0 score stood up until the sixth frame when St. Joseph's tacked on two more runs with a two-run homer and then held the Bulldogs at bay to account for the final margin.
No further statistics are yet available from game one against the Pumas.
In the nightcap, Ferris State battled Southern Indiana to a one-run game thru four innings before a big fifth frame catapulted the Screaming Eagles to a big victory. USI scored a single run in the second and the it was the lone run of the contest until Southern Indiana produced five runs in the top half of the fifth. The Bulldogs scored their lone run in the seventh, but could climb no closer.
Southern Indiana outhit FSU 9-5 for the game and received a complete game performance from pitcher Brooke Harmening. She allowed only a single run on five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in seven innings pitched.
Meanwhile, FSU's Stacy Thompson pitched four and two-thirds innings for the Bulldogs while giving up six runs on eight hits with a single walk. Sophomore Megan Hiler pitched in relief and allowed only a single hit with one walk in two and one-thirds innings of scoreless action.
Offensively, junior outfielder Alyssa Smith along with sophomore Bailey Darwin both had a pair of hits in leading the Bulldogs. Sophomore catcher Casey Bias added a single hit with Darwin scoring the Bulldogs' lone run of the day. Bias also produced FSU's lone extra base hit of the contest with a double.
Southern Indiana was paced by Janna Green and Haley Hodges, who both managed two hits. Five others tallied a single hit apiece as USI improved to 4-0 overall this season.
Ferris State, now 0-4 overall, wraps up in the Charger Chillout with two games on Sunday (Feb. 8) versus Indianapolis and Miles in Huntsville. Game one begins at 9 a.m. (ET) with game two slated for a 11 a.m. (ET) start.
Overall, the Bulldogs will play a total of 10 games in the states of Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky before returning home early next week. After the Charger Chillout wraps up on Sunday, FSU will play another twinbill against Union on Monday (Feb. 9) in Tennessee before visiting Bellarmine (Ky.) on Tuesday (Feb. 10) to conclude the season-opening trip.
