Bulldog Softball Drops Two Close One-Run Games To Rival GVSU

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team finally returned to action on Tuesday (April 5), but suffered a pair of one-run road setbacks to archrival Grand Valley State in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play at the GVSU Softball Stadium in Allendale.

The Lakers took game one of the rescheduled twinbill by a 3-2 score and then held off FSU for a 6-5 victory in the nightcap. The two setbacks snapped a six-game Bulldog unbeaten streak and were the Bulldogs' first two league losses of the year.

In game one, the Lakers took a 2-1 lead after the opening inning of action and both teams added another run in the third. However, from that point forward neither team could muster a run as the Bulldogs fell in a game in which both squads tallied six hits.

FSU's Stacy Thompson pitched all six innings for the Bulldogs and allowed only three runs on the six hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Two GVSU pitchers combined to give up only two runs on six hits with seven K's and seven walks to FSU.

Ferris State was paced at the plate by both third baseman Bailey Darwin and catcher Casey Bias as each netted two hits apiece. Alexx Astorga and Stephanie Neuman accounted for the Bulldogs' other two hits in the opening game. Bias doubled and Neuman drove in a run for FSU, but the Bulldogs stranded 11 runners on base.

In game two, GVSU bolted out to an early 4-0 lead. However, FSU scored twice in the fourth and two more times in the fifth to knot the game up. Both teams added a single run in the sixth and the game was tied again, but the Lakers produced the game-winning run in the seventh and held FSU without a run to pull out the victory.

Ferris State totaled nine hits in game two to 10 for the Lakers, but also had three errors in the field.

The Bulldogs' Megan Jean, Megan Vanderwal and Hannah Leppek combined to give up six runs on 10 hits in seven innings of work. They had two strikeouts and a single walk. Vanderwal hurled four innings with two runs allowed on four hits while Jean gave up three runs on four hits in two innings. Leppek pitched a single frame with one run and two hits surrendered.

Offensively, the Bulldogs received two hits apiece from Emily Reed, Sam Bates and Michelle Tononi. Meanwhile, Darwin, Astorga and Bias all had single hits for FSU. Both Darwin and Reed homered while Bates doubled in the setback. The Bulldogs also received two RBI's from Astorga and Darwin along with one by Reed.

With the two losses, FSU is now 21-11 overall this campaign to date and the Bulldogs are now 6-2 in the GLIAC. GVSU improved to 20-6 overall and 5-3 in conference play.

Ferris State's scheduled home-opening twinbill versus Lake Superior State on Wednesday (April 6) was postponed due to expected winter weather conditions. FSU is next slated to host Hillsdale on Saturday (April 9) in league play starting at 1 p.m. (ET) at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids.