Ferris State Earns Big Win At Parkside Before Weather Impacts Nightcap

Game Two Boxscore (Tied 7-7 in top of 7th) - PDF

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad hit the road and earned a big win over Parkside on Wednesday (April 7) in the opening game of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader before weather impacted the nightcap.

The Bulldogs scored 15 runs in a two-inning stretch to win the opener 16-2 in five innings and the two squads were deadlocked at 6-6 in the top of the seventh inning in game two when severe weather struck and forced the postponement of the finale.

The two teams will finish off game two on April 30 when Parkside visits Ferris State for another league doubleheader at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids.

In the opener, Parkside took an early lead and held a 2-1 edge going into the fourth before the Bulldogs responded in a big way. Junior centerfielder Paige Kortz hit a three-run homer in the top of the fourth as the Bulldogs put up 10 runs to take control. FSU added five more in the top of the fifth and held the Rangers scoreless in their final two at-bats to garner the win in five innings of action.

For Ferris State, the Bulldogs pounded out 12 hits to five for the Rangers and took advantage of three Parkside errors in the field. Kortz had a game-high seven RBI's for the Bulldogs while scoring three runs and posting two hits to lead the parade. FSU Cather Ali Magiera notched two runs scored, two hits and drove in two runs.

The Bulldogs also got two hits from outfielders Kylie Winkels and Abby Mitchell while second baseman Kacey Bouche accounted for two RBI's. Kortz homered twice with both Magiera and Bouche notching homers as well for FSU. Overall, six different players all drove in at least one run.

FSU freshman Aryn Gallacher notched her second consecutive victory, allowing only a single earned run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks in five innings of work.

In the nightcap, the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Rangers answered with six runs in the bottom of the frame. The Bulldogs fought back and scored four times in the sixth to tie the game up before a lightning delay followed by the eventual postponement of the contest. Parkside had compiled nine hits to eight for the Bulldogs.

Mitchell homered for the Bulldogs in the nightcap and had two hits, two RBI's and two runs scored. Meanwhile, shortstop Kodi Ramirez also drove in two runs on two hits while scoring once. Kortz added two home hits and an RBI.

The Bulldogs' Kaitlyn Nugent tossed one and one-third innings, allowing four runs on six hits with a strikeout. Meanwhile, Kristie Gray tossed four and two-thirds of an inning, holding the Rangers scoreless on three hits with two K's.

The Bulldogs will continue action on the road this Saturday (April 10) as FSU visits Purdue Northwest for a league doubleheader in Indiana. The opening game gets underway at 2 p.m. (ET) with the second game slated for a 4 p.m. (ET) start. FSU then heads to Davenport on Sunday (April 11) for another GLIAC afternoon twinbill in Caledonia.