Bulldog Softball Earns Second-Straight Split In Day Two Action At The Spring Games

Big Rapids, Mich. - For the second-straight day, the Ferris State University softball team earned a split in Florida as the Bulldogs played a pair of non-league regional contests on day two at The Spring Games in the Sunshine State.

The Bulldogs posted a 5-3 triumph over Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) foe St. Joseph's (Ind.) in their opening game of the twinbill in Clermont before falling to another strong GLVC opponent in Lewis (Ill.) by a 13-4 count in game two.

In game one, the Bulldogs grabbed the early edge with two runs in the opening inning. After SJC tied the game up at two in the top of the third and then took a one-run lead with another one in the fourth, FSU answered by plating three runs in the botttom of the inning to account for the final margin.

Overall, Ferris State tallied 10 hits in the opener to nine for the Pumas. FSU received multiple hits from Emily Reed along with Logan Fleming, Lexi Hongisto and Emily Smith. The Bulldogs also got a two-run triple from Reed in addition to a double by Fleming. Bailey Darwin added an RBI.

In the circle, Abby Highway pitched all seven innings for Ferris State and allowed only three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and a walk to earn the victory.

In the second game against Lewis at Legends Way Field, the Flyers jumped out to a 5-0 lead thru two innings. However, Ferris State pulled back within a run by putting four on the board in the third before Lewis had a big at-bat in the bottom of the fourth with eight runs and held FSU scoreless in the top of the fifth to end the game.

The Flyers compiled 12 hits to FSU's five in the nightcap. All five FSU hits came from different batters with both Darwin and Hongisto posting doubles. Hongisto also drove in two runs.

Senior Megan Hiler pitched three innings of the second game and allowed nine runs on nine hits with Sam Bates tossing two-thirds of an inning and giving up four runs on three hits with three walks. Highway came on in relief and had a single strikeout with no hits or runs allowed in one-third innings of work.

The Bulldogs will play two more games on Tuesday (March 7) before an off day at The Spring Games. FSU faces GLVC member Quincy (Ill.) starting at 10:30 a.m. (ET) before battling Assumption starting at 1 p.m. (ET).