Ferris State Softball Posts Fifth Sweep In Florida To Move To 12-4 Overall

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team got back on track Tuesday (March 8) as the Bulldogs swept a non-conference doubleheader versus Eckerd (Fla.) with back-to-back wins at the Turley Complex in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Bulldogs registered their fifth sweep of their Florida trip to date and improved to 12-4 overall this campaign by taking a pair of exciting games. FSU won game one 5-3 and then held on for a 5-4 victory in game two to complete the sweep of the twinbill.

In the opener, after a day off on Monday in Florida, the Bulldogs fell behind by a single run heading into the third. However, FSU put four runs on the board in the fourth and then added on to a two-run advantage with a solo run in the fifth before holding off the hosts in the afternoon action. FSU outhit Eckerd 13-8 in the first game.

FSU's Megan Jean notched her first victory of the year as she tossed three innings with only a single run on three hits allowed. Stacy Thompson garnered the start and tossed two innings with two runs given up while Sam Bates claimed the save with no hits or runs allowed in two-thirds of an inning. FSU's Megan VanderWal also pitched one and one-third innings of scoreless and hitless action.

Ferris State's 13 total hits came off the bats of eight different players with both catcher Casey Bias and first baseman Stephanie Neuman totaling three hits apiece. Emily Reed also added two hits while Michelle Tononi and Alexis Hongisto both tripled. Neuman had a squad-best two RBI's in the opener.

Eckerd' Nikole Van Gennep suffered the loss after giving up four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in three innings of work.

In game two, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with two runs in the first. FSU added a single run in the third and two more in the fifth to build a 5-2 lead. However, the hosts scored once in the fifth and pulled within a run by adding another in the sixth before FSU closed the door and held on for the win. Ferris State totaled 10 hits in game two compared to six for Eckerd.

The game two victory went to FSU hurler Sam Bates as she threw four innings of action with two runs allowed on two hits and four walks. Hiler tossed one and one-third innings while also giving up two runs on two hits before Hannah Leppek pitched two-thirds of an inning and allowed no runs on two hits. Finally, Jean earned the save by pitching a sinlge inning and gave up none.

Offensively, Reed had three hits in the nightcap with Bailey Darwin and Michelle Tononi both totaling two hits apiece. Both Reed and Alyssa Smith doubled while Reed also homered and accounted for a squad-best three RBI's in the victory. Darwin had two runs batted in and both Tononi along with Reed scored twice for FSU.

Ferris State returns to the diamond on Wednesday (March 9) as the Bulldogs face Tampa in a non-league doubleheader beginning at 5 and 7 p.m. (ET), respectively.