Ferris State Picks Up GLIAC Home Split Against Purdue Northwest In Sunday Action

Postgame Highlights & Interview 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team returned to its home field on Sunday (April 10) and earned a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) split against Purdue Northwest at the FSU Softball Field.

The Bulldogs captured a 4-1 victory in the opener for their first home win of the season before falling in game two by a 12-4 margin. The Pride had entered the doubleheader leading the GLIAC in terms of conference winning percentage in the standings.

Ferris State scored in the first inning of action in the opener off an RBI double from designated player Kaitlyn Orme and added another run in the second via a triple from shortstop Kacey Bouche in building a 2-0 edge. PNW managed to trim the deficit to a single run in the fourth, but the Bulldogs scored twice more in the fifth and held the Pride at bay the rest of the way for the win.

In the opener, freshman Kristina Baar tossed a scoreless first inning before Kristie Gray came on to throw six innings for the win, allowing only a single run on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Gabby Paliska suffered the loss for Purdue Northwest despite allowing only four earned runs on six hits to go with eight K's.

Offensively, the Bulldogs' six hits in the game one win came off the bats of five different hitters as only catcher Ali Magiera totaled a pair of hits. She drove in a team-high two runs with both Orme and Bouche adding an RBI on their respective extra-base hits in the game. First baseman Evelyn Blood and second baseman Josie Prince both joined the group with a hit apiece.

In game two, the Pride responded by scoring six times in the opening inning off of three different Bulldog pitchers and added four additional runs in the second in building a 10-run advantage. The Bulldogs cut the lead down to six with two runs in both the third and fifth innings, keeping the game alive to go the distance, but PNW added insurance runs in both the sixth and seventh frames to pull out the split.

Overall, Purdue Northwest compiled 15 hits in game two to 11 for the Bulldogs. Orme led the Bulldogs with two hits while Kylie Winkels, Abbey Mitchelson and Abby Mitchell all knocked home runs. FSU's Kaitlyn Fick had a pinch-hit double while Mitchell tripled in the setback.

The trio to Aryn Gallacher, Orme and Baar combined to allow 12 earned runs on 15 hits with eight walks and three strikeouts. Meanwhile, Purdue Northwest's Abbie May picked up the win by allowing only three runs on 10 hits in five innings before giving way to Emma Hill, who tossed two scoreless innings and gave up a single hit with two strikeouts.

The Bulldogs will continue a 10-game GLIAC homestand by hosting West Michigan rivals Davenport and Grand Valley State next weekend on April 15-16, respectively. Both doubleheaders get underway at 1 p.m. (ET) with game two set to follow at approximately 3 p.m. (ET) on both Friday and Saturday.