Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team capped off its regular season with an impressive home sweep over the Findlay Oilers on Sunday (April 24) as the Bulldogs ran their winning streak to nine-straight games at the FSU Softball Field.
Ferris State scored in the bottom of the seventh to take a 2-1 walkoff win over the Oilers in the opening game of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) twinbill and then followed with a decisive 8-0 shutout in five innings of action in the nightcap.
The two wins helped the Bulldogs finish tied for third overall in the GLIAC standings as FSU improved to 34-16 overall and 19-7 in the GLIAC this campaign. FSU will be the number four seed for the GLIAC Tournament, which takes place Friday thru Sunday (April 29-May 1) at Marathon Diamonds in Findlay.
In Sunday's showdown against the Oilers, it was a pitcher's duel between Findlay ace Chelsea McManaway and FSU senior hurler Stacy Thompson. Together, they allowed only three runs on 10 hits with 13 combined strikeouts in the contest.
Findlay struck first in the opening inning as leadoff hitter Katie Dunphy doubled for her first of three hits in the contest and then eventually scored on an RBI hit from Amanda Delmonte.
The Bulldogs, though, answered in the bottom of the second when first baseman Emily Reed blasted a shot over the fence in left center to knot the game up.
The score stood until FSU's final at-bat in the seventh frame. Alexx Astorga led off the inning with a double to center field and then advanced to third on a passed ball. Soon after, a hit down the left side from FSU's Casey Bias was thrown to first for a potential out, but the fielder dropped the ball and could not make the throw to the plate as Astorga raced home for the winning run.
The Bulldogs notched only three hits in the game with Alexis Hongisto adding a single to go with the home run from Reed and the double by Astorga. McManaway struck out 10 FSU hitters and gave up only the two runs on three hits with a walk in the game.
Meanwhile, Thompson had an impressive performance of her own in the circle for the Bulldogs as she gave up only a single run on seven hits with three K's and no walks in winning her 13th game of the campaign.
Ferris State started off quickly in game two as the Bulldogs exploded for five runs in the opening inning along with two more in the second and one in the top of the third for an early 8-0 edge. The score stood as FSU allowed only four hits from the Oilers in the nightcap.
Hongisto homered for the Bulldogs for a pari of RBI's in game two and FSU also received an exciting inside the park homer from senior outfielder Alyssa Smith, who lined a shot off the glove of the first baseman and raced around the basepath as the ball ended up deep in the corner in right field.
Both third baseman Bailey Darwin and senior second baseman Michelle Tononi had two hits apiece as part of FSU's 10 total hits in the victory. Bias accounted for two RBI's on a double and Ferris State also received RBI's from Darwin and Sarah Johnson.
Freshman Hannah Leppek got the start and earned the win for the Bulldogs as she allowed only three hits and no runs in four innings of work. She struck out three and walked two in the victory. Sam Bates tossed the final inning in relief and did not allow a run as the Oilers stranded three runners on base in their final at-bat. Bates walked one and struck out one before forcing the third out to end the game.
Ferris State's 34 total wins to date this year are now the fifth-most in a single campaign in school history. The Bulldogs, who will be making their first GLIAC Tournament appearance since 2013, also have more than doubled their win total from a year ago.
FSU capped the regular-season by winning all eight of its home games at the FSU Softball Field this week, including all six this weekend. The Bulldogs overall went 10-2 on their home field this year.
Official matchups and pairings for the GLIAC Tournament will be announced by the league office soon.
