Ferris State Drops Two Close Outings To Conclude Midwest Regional Crossover

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State softball team concluded action in the season-opening Midwest Regional Crossover with a pair of close setbacks on Sunday (Feb. 26) in Evansville, Ind.

The Bulldogs dropped a 2-0 decision to Bellarmine (Ky.) in the opener before falling to another Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) opponent in Drury (Mo.) by a 6-3 count in the final game of the regional event.

In game one, Bellarmine scored the only two runs of the game in the top half of the second. The Knights outhit FSU 8-3 for the game. BU was playing its 17th game of the season against the Bulldogs.

Ferris State's three hits in the opener came off the bats of second baseman Sarah Johnson along with third baseman Bailey Darwin and pitcher Sam Bates. FSU received a double from Bates along with a sacrifice from Casey Bias.

Bates hurled all seven innings for the Bulldogs and allowed only two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Marlee Tevis earned the shutout win for the Knights as she also tossed all seven frames and gave up only three hits with six walks and no striekouts.

In the second game, Ferris State scored first in the opening inning before Drury answered with four runs in the bottom half of the initial frame. FSU pulled within 4-2 in the fifth, but DU plated two more in the sixth and held off the Bulldogs, who managed a single run in their final at-bat.

Overall, Ferris State posted eight hits to only seven for the Panthers in the setback.

First baseman Emily Reed had three hits for the Bulldogs and drove in a run while Alexx Astorga added two hits and an RBI. Reed tripled in the game while Bailey Darwin had a sacrifice fly and batted in a run for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs' Abby Highway went the distance in the circle for FSU with six runs allowed on seven hits. She had three walks in six innings of work.

Ferris State next heads to Florida to play a total of 12 games in a week span at the NTC Spring Games starting on Sunday, March 5, in Clermont, Fla. FSU will face Urbana (Ohio) and Bentley (Mass.) in opening day play at 1 p.m. (ET) and 3:30 p.m. (ET), respectively.