Ferris State Softball Sweeps Lake Superior State In First Home Action Of Season

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team used the home field to its advantage in a big way as the Bulldogs got back on track by rolling past Lake Superior State in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) sweep on Thursday (April 14) at the FSU Softball Field.

The Bulldogs, who played their first home contests of the season in the rescheduled twinbill, belted back-to-back homers early in the opening game en route to a 8-0 shutout in five innings and then came back with 12 hits in the nightcap while posting an 11-2 victory.

With the two wins, FSU improved to 23-13 overall and 8-4 in the GLIAC this campaign. The two wins came in the first-ever home action for FSU under first-year head coach Wally King.

In the opening game, after a scoreless first inning, FSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second as third baseman Bailey Darwin belted a two-run homer to left center and catch Casey Bias followed with a solo shot.

Ferris State added two more runs in the third before ending the game after only five frames with more runs. FSU produced eight hits in the game one victory.

First Baseman Emily Reed tallied a squad-high three hits in the opener while driving in two runs. Meanwhile, Bias produced two RBI's on two hits while Darwin drove in three runs on a pair of hits. Reed doubled twice with both Darwin and Johnson netting a two-bagger each to go along with the two homers.

Meanwhile, in the pitching circle, Megan Jean notched her fifth win of the campaign by giving up only three hits in five innings of work. She had a strikeout and walked one in the shutout triumph. 

On the opposite side, FSU totaled seven runs on seven hits versus LSSU's Alyssa Boucher, who took the loss after tossing four innings. Riley Durbano came on in relief and allowed a single run on one hit in one-third innings of action. 

In game two, LSSU jumped in front early by scoring the game's opening run in the bottom of the first inning. FSU eventually answered in the third when center fielder Alexx Astorga doubled in a run. From there, the Bulldogs scored once in the fourth and four times in the fifth to build a five-run advantage.

After the Lakers cut the margin to four runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Bulldogs closed the door with three additional runs in the sixth to go with two more in their final at-bat in the seventh. Overall, FSU tallied 12 hits and benefited from three LSSU errors in the field.

The bats stayed alive for the Bulldogs in the nightcap as Emily Smith tallied three hits with both Darwin and Astorga along with Sam Bates adding two hits apiece. Astorga also drew two walks and accounted for two RBI's while Smith stole three bases. Darwin drove in three runs in the victory with both Smith and Alexis Hongisto scoring twice for FSU.

Ferris State's game two production included doubles off the sticks of Astorga, Reed and Hongisto. Darwin also notched her first triple of the year.

Senior Megan Vanderwal earned the pitching start for the Bulldogs and allowed only a single run on three hits in two innings of work. Bates then tossed five innings and earned the win by giving up only a single run on five hits. They each had two strikeouts and walked only a single batter in the win.

The sweep opened a stretch of five consecutive doubleheaders for the Bulldogs. FSU is back at home on Friday (April 15) versus Hillsdale at the FSU Softball Field with first pitch for game one set for 3:30 p.m. (ET) followed by the finale starting at 5:30 p.m. (ET).

Following Friday's twinbill, FSU then visits Tiffin on Saturday (April 16) and Ohio Dominican on Sunday (April 17) for league doubleheaders in Ohio.