Bulldog Softball Earns Two Wins Over Parkside As Two Teams Battle In Friday Action

Highlights & Postgame 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad registered a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) home sweep on Friday (April 30) in a league doubleheader over the Parkside Rangers in Big Rapids as the two squads played a twin bill and also completed a third matchup at the FSU Softball Field.

Prior to the scheduled doubleheader, the two teams finished a game that was halted in Wisconsin back on April 7 due to weather, with Parkside scoring once to earn a 7-6 triumph. The two teams were knotted up 6-6 with one out in the top of the 7th when play resumed on Friday and the Rangers managed to put a run on the board in the bottom of the frame for a walk-off win.

However, Ferris State came back to sweep Friday's GLIAC doubleheader, earning a hard-fought 2-1 win in game one followed by a 7-6 victory in another close contest in the nightcap.

In the opener, the Bulldogs fell behind 1-0 as UWP scored in the initial meeting. The score stood until the bottom of the sixth when FSU put two runs on the board and earned the victory, despite being outhit 6-4 for the game.

Second baseman Kacey Bouche doubled and drove in both runs for the Bulldogs in the sixth, scoring Evelyn Blood and Amara Zukowski. FSU also got hits from centerfielder Paige Kortz and first baseman Kaitlyn Orme.

Freshman Aryn Gallacher recorded the victory for FSU, allowing only a single run on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk in seven innings of work.

In game two, the Rangers again jumped in front early with two runs in the first, but FSU answered with two in the bottom of the opening inning. The Bulldogs took the lead in the second and increased the advantage to 5-2 after the third. However, the Rangers tied it back up in the fifth and surged back in front in the sixth before the Bulldogs garnered the victory in the bottom of the seventh with two runs.

Ferris State earned the walk-off victory on a double to left field from Kortz in the bottom of the seventh, scoring shortstop Kodi Ramirez and right fielder Madison McLeod.

The Bulldogs got five hits from Ramirez, who also compiled two RBI's and two runs scored. Orme and McLeod both had two hits while McLeod scored twice. The Bulldogs posted four doubles off the bats of Ramirez, Kortz, Orme and Abby Mitchell with Bouche notching a triple. 

The Bulldogs' Kaitlyn Nugent hurled four innings, giving up four runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Kristie Gray came on to pitch three innings, allowing only two runs on two hits with three walks.

Ferris State will host Purdue Northwest on Saturday (May 1) in a GLIAC doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. (ET) at the FSU Softball Field. Saturday's game will serve as the Bulldogs' Senior Day game with FSU slated to honor a trio of seniors in Ramirez, McLeod and pitcher Kylie Masko as part of the twin bill.