Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team again battled strong competition on Monday (March 9) as FSU played yet another doubleheader during its fourth day of action in Florida.
The Bulldogs played an afternoon doubleheader in The Spring Games at the National Training Center in Clermont where FSU suffered a 6-1 setback to Truman State (Mo.) in the opener before falling to nationally 15th-ranked Winona State (Minn.) by a 7-2 count in game two.
In the opener, Ferris State took the early 1-0 lead with a single run in the bottom of the second inning before Truman State answered with two runs in the third. It remained a 2-1 contest until Truman followed with four runs in the top of the seventh and closed the door on the Bulldogs in the bottom of the inning to pull out the win.
Ferris State produced six hits in game one, including a multiple-hit game from Sydney Hasselbach. She doubled in the outing as did shortstop Sarah Johnson for the Bulldogs. Kayti Carlson drove in FSU's lone run with an RBI and added a sacrifice fly in the game.
Senior pitcher Cara DeLange hurled six innings and allowed four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Megan Vanderwal pitched in relief and surrendered only two runs on one hit with three K's and a walk in one inning of work.
On the Truman State side, second baseman Andrea Klipsch produced four RBI's while Liz Leath drove in two runs. The trio of Klipsch, Leath and Jamie Fowle each had two hits with Klipsch homering twice and Leath once. Kelsea Dorsey earned the win to move to 4-1 for Truman with only a single run allowed on FSU's six hits in seven full innings of action. She had seven strikeouts.
In game two, Winona State scored a pair of runs in the second inning and added one more in the third to grab an early 3-0 lead. They added three more in the fifth before the Bulldogs scored two of the final three runs of the afternoon. However, the Warriors ended the game with a strikeout in the seven to come up the win.
The Bulldogs were outhit in game two by a 10-3 total although FSU had no errors in the field and Winona State recorded four in the contest.
Ferris State's three hits came off the bats of Alyssa Smith, Emily Smith and Bailey Darwin. Both Hasselbach and Johnson notched RBI's for the Bulldogs.
Sophomore Megan Hiler tossed the entire six innings for the Bulldogs while giving up seven runs on 10 hits. She had three strikeouts and only two walks.
Winona State's Hanna Lythberg recorded her seventh win of the year as Ferris State managed only a pair of runs on three hits in seven innings. She also registered eight strikeouts in the win.
Ferris State will be back in action early Tuesday (March 10) morning as the Bulldogs play a pair of morning games against Bentley (Mass.) and West Virginia Wesleyan starting at 9 a.m. (ET) and 11 a.m. (ET), respectively.
Following Tuesday's play, the Bulldogs will be off on Wednesday before playing their final eight games in the Sunshine State over a four-day span with the trip wrapping up on Sunday.
