Ferris State Softball Battles To The End In Two Setbacks At GLIAC Tournament

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad opened action in the 2018 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament on Friday (May 4) at Sports Force Parks in Sandusky, Ohio, but suffered a pair of setbacks as the year came to a close.

In the opener, the eighth-seeded Bulldogs battled top-seeded Grand Valley State to the wire before falling in a close 6-4 decision. FSU led until the bottom of the ffith and outhit the Lakers 11-10 overall.

After the loss to GVSU, the Bulldogs squared off against Purdue Northwest in the consolation round and fell behind early before eventually dropping a 7-2 contest.

Ferris State took an early 2-1 lead in the first inning against GVSU before the Lakers moved in front for the first time with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. FSU cut the margin back to a single run by putting two across the plate in the top of the sixth, but GVSU added another run in the bottom of the inning and held the Bulldogs off the board in the seventh to preserve the victory.

The Bulldogs got multi-hit games from leftfielder Emily Smith, shortstop Logan Fleming, catcher Emily Reed and second baseman Kodi Ramirez as each totaled two. Fleming and rightfielder Katie Scheuer each tripled while Fleming, Reed, Scheuer and Ramirez had RBI's.

Sophomore Abby Highway suffered the decision in the circle, giving up four earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in four and one-third innings. Senior Sam Bates pitched an inning and two-thirds, allowing only a single run on three hits.

In the loss to Purdue Northwest, the Bulldogs gave up the first run in the bottom of the second. It remained a 1-0 game until the Pride exploded for six runs in the fourth. The Bulldogs managed their only two runs in the sixth, but it was not enough as Purdue Northwest limited FSU to only five hits in the game.

Ramirez led FSU at the plate with two hits while designated player Lexee Summers joined Reed and Smith with a hit each. Reed had FSU's lone RBI with a triple in the game while Ramirez doubled in the contest.

Both Bates and Highway each pitched three innings with Bates allowing six runs on three hits with a strikeout and two walks. Highway gave up only a single run on four hits with three K's.

The two setbacks wrapped up the 2018 campaign for the Bulldogs under first-year head coach Kristin Janes. FSU closed the year by winning nine of its final 14 games overall prior to the conference tournament.