Late Bellarmine Rally Downs Ferris State, 4-3

A two-run home run by Bellarmine's Katelyn Bickett proved to be the decisive hit as the Knights overcame a one-run deficit in the top of the seventh inning to down the Ferris State University softball team, 4-3, this Wednesday (March 9) in a rain-delayed Florida Rebel Spring Games Tournament game at Kissimmee, Fla.

The Bulldogs managed to overcome a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning as a result of freshman pitcher Amy Dunleavy (Canton) belting a pitch by the Knights' Casey Willard down the left field line for a RBI triple to score junior left field Stephanie Dusendang (Comstock Park/Rockford), who reached on a fielder's choice.

In the top of the fifth, Ferris State seized a 3-2 lead on one base hit.  Sophomore center fielder Morgan Kramerich (Crest Hill, Ill./Lockport) started out the inning by lining a double down the left field line.  Senior right fielder Colleen Roney (Wheaton, Ill./Glen Ellyn Glenbard South) followed with a walk and both runners moved up a base after junior third baseman Makenzi Peterson (Big Rapids) laid down a sacrifice bunt.  The Bulldogs' cleanup hitter, junior first baseman Chelsea Morris (Jenison) drove an offering by BU pitcher Casey Willard to right field for a RBI sacrifice fly, scoring Morgan Kramerich.

Ferris State would maintain its one-run edge until the top of the seventh when Caley Melton reached base on an error by Makenzi Peterson and then Katelyn Bickett stepped up to bat against FSU pitcher Amy Dunleavy.  In her lone at bat for the game, Bickett smacked a two-run blast which cleared the left center field fence to give the Knights a 4-3 advantage going into the bottom half of the frame. 

The Bulldogs tried to get a rally going off of Casey Willard, but the Knights' hurler was able to get the first two outs of the innings on a pair of strikeouts.  With two outs, Colleen Roney singled to left field but Makenzi Peterson popped up to first baseman Lauren Summe to end the game.

FSU was led in batting by Morgan Kramerich's three-for-four hitting performance.  Colleen Roney, Chelsea Morris, Amy Dunleavy, and sophomore catcher Liz Hamming (Hudsonville) also posted a base hit for the Bulldogs, who left six runners on base.

In the pitching circle, Amy Dunleavy (1-3) took the loss as she scattered six hits and allowed four runs while fanning four Bellarmine hitters in seven innings.  Casey Willard chalked up six strikeouts for the Knights (4-2) while giving up six hits in a complete-game effort.

Ferris State, which presently sports a 3-5 overall record, will seek to get back on the winning track this Thursday (March 10) as the Bulldogs meet Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) in a 1 p.m. (EST) tilt.  FSU then will face Shippensburg (Pa.) later in the afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. (EST). 

Notes:  Ferris State is 3-2 this spring when scoring the game's initial run . . .  Morgan Kramerich has generated a team-leading four multiple-hit games this season, which includes a pair of three-hit single-game outings . . . Colleen Roney has hit safely in six of her eight contests this campaign . . . The Bulldogs were 2-0-0 against Bellarmine in the all-time series prior to today's outcome.