Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team opened up an eight-game homestand to end the regular season by rallying for a pair of two run victories on Tuesday (April 19) against the Northwood Timberwolves at the FSU Softball Field.
The Bulldogs scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth in the opener to rally for a 5-3 win against NU and then tallied three runs in the fifth inning of game two en route to a 4-2 victory.
Northwood jumped in front early in game one with a single run in the first. The score stood until FSU evened the game up in the fourth, but the Timberwolves answered with a single run in the sixth for a 2-1 lead. However, the Bulldogs came up with four runs in the bottom of the inning and then held on for the win as NU scored once and loaded the bases in the seventh before FSU prevailed.
Senior Stacy Thompson earned her 10th victory of the campaign in the pitching circle as she tossed six and one-third innings, giving up three runs on nine hits with two walks and a strikeout. Megan Jean came on for the final two outs and allowed no runs or hits with a single walk.
Ferris State produced eight hits offensively, including two apiece from first baseman Emily Reed and catcher Casey Bias. Shortstop Sarah Johnson tallied three RBI's as she belted a three-run double to right center to lift FSU in front in the sixth inning.
FSU also received an RBI apiece from third baseman Bailey Darwin and right fielder Alexis Hongisto. Darwin homered for FSU's opening run in the game and the Bulldogs also got doubles from Alexx Astorga, Reed and Johnson.
NU's Vanessa Ewing took the loss in the opener after allowing fiveruns on eight hits in six innings of work.
In the nightcap, Ferris State pounded out 13 hits to only six for the Timberwolves, but four FSU errors pushed NU in front early. The Timberwolves scored a single run in both the second and third innings for an early 2-0 lead before FSU put its first run on the board in the fourth to cut the margin in half. Ferris State then had a big fifth inning as the Bulldogs scored three runs on three hits.
FSU's 13 hits in game two included three from senior Michelle Tononi along with two apiece from Emily Smith, Sam Bates, Astorga and Johnson. Bias and Hongisto each had a single hit. Meanwhile, Smith, Tononi, Astorga and Bates all tallied RBI's.
Bates earned the victory in the circle as she hurled all seven innings and held NU to only two runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout. NU's Casey Brown took the loss as three Northwood pitchers allowed four runs on 13 hits with four walks and three K's.
Behind Bates, the Bulldogs also managed to hold on in the seventh inning of game two for the win as NU stranded two runners on base.
With the two wins, Ferris State improved to 28-16 overall and 13-7 in the GLIAC. NU fell to 16-18 overall and 7-11 in conference action.
The Bulldogs have now won five of their last six games overall heading into the final six games of the regular-season, all of which are at home as they try to secure a GLIAC Tournament berth.
Ferris State will host Walsh on Friday (April 22) in a conference twinbill starting with game one at 3 p.m. (ET) and game two at approximately 5 p.m. (ET). The Bulldogs then host Malone on Saturday and Findlay on Sunday at the FSU Softball Field.
