Bulldogs Battle Ashland Under Chilly Conditions In Saturday Home Doubleheader
Big Rapids, Mich. - A key seventh-inning in game one changed the momentum and lifted the Ashland Eagles to a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) road sweep over Ferris State in league softball action on Saturday (April 4) at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids.
The Eagles, who have been ranked or receiving votes in the national Division II poll this season, scored six runs in the top half of the final inning of game one to break a deadlock and went on to a 9-3 triumph. They then jumped in front of FSU early in game two and held on for a 5-1 victory. Both games were played under chilly, windy and cold conditions.
In game one, Ferris State battled the Eagles most of the way. AU scored twice in the second inning and once in the third, but FSU answered with a single run in the second and two in the third as the two squads were knotted up thru six innings.
In the seventh frame, though, Ashland produced six runs on five hits and a Bulldog error to take a six-run advantage. The Eagles then shut down FSU in the bottom of the inning to earn the game one win.
Ferris State was outhit 11-6 in the opener and also had three errors in the field. Senior hurler Cara DeLange tossed six and one-third innings with 10 hits and nine runs allowed, but also had five strikeouts and only two walks. Stacy Thompson pitched the final two-thirds of an inning in relief and did not surrender a run on one hit with two K's and a walk.
FSU third baseman Bailey Darwin and leftfielder Sam Bates both had two hits each for the Bulldogs in the opener with an RBI apiece. Both doubled as did utility player Emily Reed, who also drove in a run.
Ashland was led at the plate by the trio of Taylor Menhart, Jen Moore and Kayla Prokopakis with all three netting multiple hits. Both Menhart and Moore doubled as did Sarah Alley and Ally Farrah. AU's Mckenna Galloway give up only three runs on three hits with a single walk and strikeout in two and two-thirds innings before Alley came on to pitch four and one-third frames with no runs allowed on three hits. She also had seven strikeouts and a walk.
The Eagles picked up right where they left off at the plate in game two as they scored three of their five runs in the bottom of the opening inning to build a 3-0 edge. FSU answered with a run in the third before AU added two more in the fourth and shut down the Bulldogs in their final four at-bats to pick up the win.
In game two, FSU's lone run came on the first collegiate homer from second baseman Hallie Utter. However, it was one of only three hits for FSU in the game as the Eagles posted a 10-3 margin in total hits.
Along with Utter, both Sarah Johnson and Alyssa Smith produced hits for the Bulldogs in the nightcap.
Thompson pitched the first three innings for the Bulldogs in game two with five runs given up on seven hits. She had two K's and a walk before sophomore Megan Hiler came on to hurl three scoreless innings with only three hits allowed. Hiler also had a strikeout and no walks.
Meanwhile, Ashland's Brittany Flanigan picked up the win after allowing only a single run on three hits with five strikeouts in five and one-third innings pitched. Amber McDermott toss the final one and two-thirds innings and did not give up a hit or a run with a single strikeout and two walks.
The Eagles' 10 hits in the nightcap all came on singles with Menhart, Moore and Prokopakis all totaling two hits each. Menahrt accounted for two RBI's in leading Ashland at the plate.
With the two wins, the Eagles improved to 23-5 on the year and 8-4 in league play with FSU dropping to 10-26 overall and 3-5 in the GLIAC.
The Bulldogs continue a 16-game league homestand against Lake Superior State on Wednesday (April 8) with game one starting at 3 p.m. (ET) followed by game two at approximately 5 p.m. (ET) at the FSU Softball Field. The doubleheader was originally slated to be played in Sault Ste. Marie, but was moved to Big Rapids due to weather and field conditions.