Bulldogs Suffer Two One-Run Setbacks To Tampa In Non-League Softball Play

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team battled the University of Tampa in a tightly-contested doubleheader on Wednesday (March 9), but the hosts scored a pair of idential 3-2 wins over the Bulldogs in evening action.

Tampa built a 3-0 lead following two innings of game one and then held off FSU after the Bulldogs pulled within a single run by scoring twice in the fourth. UT tallied eight hits to four for the Bulldogs at the Naimoli Family Complex.

In the opener, FSU's Megan Jean pitched all six innings and allowed only three runs on eight hits. However, Tampa's Alyssa Bache pitched six scoreless innings and allowed only two runs in the fourth. She posted nine strikeouts in earning her fifth win of the year.

Ferris State's four hits came from four different individuals with Alexx Astorga, Michelle Tononi, Emily Reed and Stephanie Neuman all recording a single hit apiece. Astorga doubled and Tononi tripled for the Bulldogs while Neuman recorded a game-high two RBI's.

In game two, Tampa scored a single run in the bottom of the first and neither team was able to score again until the fifth inning. FSU scored twice in the top half of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead, but Tampa came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead and neither team managed to score from there on out. UT posted nine hits in game two with Ferris State totaling eight.

Senior Stacy Thompson pitched game two for the Bulldogs and threw six innings with three runs on hits allowed. She had four strikeouts and a walk. Bache picked up her second win of the day by throwing two and two-thirds innings of relief action for Tampa with no runs given up on two hits with five K's.

Astorga, Tononi and outfielder Sam Bates all had two hits each for the Bulldogs in the nightcap with Alexis Hongisto and Casey Bias notching a single hit apiece. Bates doubled while Astorga tripled and drove in an RBI. Tononi also had an RBI in the setback.

With the two setbacks, the Bulldogs now own a 12-6 overall record to date this season. FSU returns to action at The Spring Games in Clermont on Friday (March 11) against Cedarville (Ohio) and Nova Southeastern (Fla.) starting at 1 and 7 p.m. (ET), respectively.

The Bulldogs then close their 22-game spring trip to Florida by facing Minot State (N.D.) and Saginaw Valley State in non-league play on Saturday (March 12) at 1 and 3 p.m. (ET).