GLIAC Tourney Run Comes To An End For Ferris State Softball

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team had its run in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament come to an end on Saturday (April 30) as the Bulldogs split two games at the Marathon Diamonds Complex in Findlay, Ohio.

Ferris State wrapped up its first league tourney appearance in three years with a 2-2 mark as the Bulldogs opened the day with a 6-3 win over sixth-seeded Saginaw Valley State before falling to fifth-seeded Ashland 9-0 in five innings.

With the split for the second-straight day, FSU closed the tournament with an overall mark of 36-18 this campaign. The Bulldogs, who have doubled their win total of a year ago, were ranked ninth the most recent NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Rankings and remain on the national tourney bubble. Eight teams will earn regional berths when the field is announced Monday at 10 a.m. (ET) at NCAA.com.

In game one on Saturday, Ferris State eliminated SVSU as FSU rallied from a 2-1 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Saginaw Valley State then pulled back within a run in the sixth, but FSU tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning and shut down the Cardinals in the seventh for the victory.

First baseman Emily Reed tallied two hits in leading the Bulldogs while senior second baseman Michelle Tononi along with third baseman Bailey Darwin, center field Alexx Astorga and catcher Casey Bias all notched hits. Reed doubled with FSU's four RBI's all coming from different players in the win. Leadoff hitter and designated player Emily Smith also drew two walks and stole a base for FSU.

Senior pitcher Megan Vanderwal earned the win for the Bulldogs for her seventh victory of the year as she tossed five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with both three walks and strikeouts. Senior pitcher Stacy Thompson came on to record the save in two innings of action.

The Bulldogs' run, though, came to an end in the second game as FSU played back-to-back contests. Ashland jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and then added six more in the fourth as they limited FSU to only three total hits in the win.

Ferris State's three hits included two from Smith along with one by Astorga as AU beat fourth-seeded FSU for the second time in the tournament. Marissa Caraballo tallied three hits and Alexis Van horn had a home run and three RBI's for the Eagles.

Thompson hurled game two for the Bulldogs and allowed nine runs on seven hits in three and two-thirds innings of action as she pitched in her fourth consecutive game at the league tournament. Hannah Leppek came on for one and one-third innings while giving up no runs on one hit. AU's Hannah Stroe took the victory as she tossed a three-hit shutout in five innings of action.

The 36 total wins for the Bulldogs this year are the fourth-most in a single season in school history.