Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team rolled to a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) sweep over Lake Superior State on Friday (April 17) as the Bulldogs won back-to-back league tilts at the FSU Softball Field and received a no-hitter in the process.
Ferris State beat the Lakers 8-2 in game one and then concluded the league sweep with a 5-0 complete game, no-hit shutout from sophomore pitcher Stacy Thompson. The two games were originally slated to be LSSU's home contests, but were moved to Big Rapids due to field conditions on the LSSU campus.
In game one, the Lakers got on the board early when Lindsey Pajot drove in two runs with a first-sinning single to LSSU a 2-0 advantage. It would be the Lakers' only lead of the day, though, as the Bulldogs carried play from that point forward.
In the second inning, the Bulldogs exploded for five hits with junior outfielder Taylor Verbic and freshman infielder Emily Reed both driving in two runs with a pair of singles. The big inning gave the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead after two frames.
Shortly after, the Bulldogs struck again in the third inning on a Sarah Johnson RBI single to push the advantage to 5-2 on the scoreboard. A Rachael Gabrielson sacrifice fly in the fifth made it a 6-2 contest in favor of Ferris State.
The Bulldogs then added two insurance runs in the final inning when Reed drove in her third run of the afternoon with a single before freshman Sam Bates followed with a double to give the Bulldogs the 8-2 win.
FSU recorded 16 hits in game one and was led by Reed, who went 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBI's. Verbic also had a big game at the plate by going 3-for-4 with two RBI's. Gabrielson, Bates and Kayti Carlson all notched doubles for the Bulldogs with the trio of Bates, Johnson and Carlson also adding multiple hits in the contest.
Bates picked up the pitching win for the Bulldogs by going five and one-third innings with three strikeouts in the opener. Megan Vanderwal came on for the final one and two-thirds innings of work with two K's as FSU allowed nine hits overall and only two runs.
LSSU's Riley Durbano took the loss in the opener after allowing eight runs on 16 hits with five strikeouts and two walks in seven innings of action.
Game two had the Ferris crowd buzzing as Thompson hurled a no-hitter for the Bulldogs in the 5-0 shutout win. She moved to 5-5 on the year with no hits and no runs allowed in pitching all seven innings. She had four K's and two walks.
The Bulldogs produced all of their runs in the second inning with three of them coming off errors. Lexee Summers and Gabrielson both drove in a run in the inning on a pair of singles.
Six Bulldogs recorded hits in game two, but the story of the game was in the field. Bates made two incredible catches in left field to help solidify the Thompson no-hitter. Offensively, Carlson doubled for FSU.
Ferris State is back in action on Saturday (April 18) as the Bulldogs host archrival Grand Valley State at the FSU Softball field in a GLIAC twinbill. The first pitch for game one is at 1 p.m. (ET) with game two to follow at approximately 3 p.m. (ET). Saturday's contest will serve as Senior Day with FSU's lone senior, pitcher Cara DeLange, slated to be honored as part of the day's activities.
Following Saturday's doubleheader, FSU wraps up its 16-game homestand against Saginaw Valley State in Big Rapids on Monday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. (ET).
