Ferris State Softball Sweeps The Day In Florida To Improve To 3-1 Overall

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team picked up its first sweep of the season as the Bulldogs rolled to two wins on Monday (Feb. 29) in day two action at The Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.

The Bulldogs, under first-year head coach Wally King, topped Kentucky Wesleyan in the opening game of the day by a 6-4 score and then completed the two-game set with a 7-2 win over Georgian Court in the nightcap.

With the two wins on Monday, the Bulldogs improved to 3-1 overall this season after two days of action in the Sunshine State with the lone loss coming to nationally 16th-ranked West Virginia Wesleyan by a single run.

In Monday's opener versus Kentucky Wesleyan, the Bulldogs gave up the initial run in the first inning, but battled back to take a 3-1 lead after three innings. After KWC knotted the game back up in the fourth, FSU answered with two runs of its own and both teams could only manage a single run apiece in the fifth to account for the final margin.

Ferris State outhit the Panthers 10-6 for the game and both teams had three errors in the field. However, senior pitcher Stacy Thompson tossed all seven innings and posted eight strikeouts with only a single walk for her second win of the year.

In addition to Thompson's performance in the circle, the Bulldogs received two home runs from catcher Casey Bias as she accounted for two RBI's. Senior Michelle Tononi also had two hits while leftfielder Sam Bates doubled. Both Tononi and third baseman Bailey Darwin also posted RBI's in the victory.

The Bulldogs scored the final six runs of the contest in game two to beat Georgian Court for their third win to date. Despite being outhit 9-8 for the game, the Bulldogs battled back from a 2-1 deficit after two innings by scoring once in the third, twice in the fifth and three more times in the seventh.

Junior Megan Hiler earned the win in the circle for the Bulldogs as she hurled five innings with four strikeouts and a walk. Megan Vanderwal pitched the final two frames and struck out three batters with a walk while giving up no hits or runs.

In the nightcap, the Bulldogs were led at the plate by center fielder Alexx Astorga with two hits, including a double. Bates also had a pair of hits and a RBI while Alexis Hongisto, Emily Smith, Alyssa Smith and Tononi all had a hit apiece. Tononi and Bates both scored twice in the victory.

Ferris State will take a break from action at The Spring Games by playing a pair of non-conference road doubleheaders in Florida over the next two days. FSU will visit Florida Southern on Tuesday (March 1) for a two-game set starting at 6 p.m. (ET). The Bulldogs then face Embry-Riddle on Wednesday (March 2) with the twinbill beginning at 4 p.m. (ET).

Overall, Ferris State will play a total of 22 games in a 16-day span in Florida.