Ferris State Softball Notches First GLIAC Road Sweep On Sunday At Parkside

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team notched its first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) road sweep of the season on Sunday (April 24) as the Bulldogs bested Wisconsin-Parkside in a league double dip in Kenosha, Wis.

FSU won the opening game 14-10 after field conditions forced the two-game set to be moved from Parkside's home field to a local school and the contest also featured an early lightning delay. The second game went to extra innings with FSU prevailing 6-5 in eight innings of work.

Ferris State got off to a fast start in the opener by scoring six runs in the first and a total of nine in the opening three innings of action. The Bulldogs pushed the margin to 10-0 in the fourth, but the Rangers responded with six in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead back to four. However, FSU answered with three more in the fifth and held off UWP from there for the triumph, notching 18 hits on the afternoon to 11 for Parkside.

Senior Paige Kortz tallied five hits and drove in two runs for the Bulldogs leading the hit parade. She doubled and homered in the game.

Overall, the Bulldogs had three homers in the opener as Kaitlyn Orme and Ali Magiera joined Kortz. Orme and Magiera paced FSU with three RBI's while Kortz, Winkels and Prince added two each. Ferris State also totaled five doubles in the game, including a pair from Prince.

The Bulldog pitching trio of Kristina Baar, Kristie Gray and Aryn Gallacher combined to strike out six and walk five while giving up 10 runs on 11 total hits. Baar earned the victory and gave up only a single earned run in three innings.

In game two, the Rangers scored the opening run of the game and held a 2-1 lead going into the fifth before the Bulldogs picked up a pair of runs. FSU led 4-3 entering the seventh, but Parkside tied up the contest to force extra innings. In the eighth, the Bulldogs scored twice and limited UWP to a single run to garner the win. The Bulldogs totaled 13 hits to 10 for Parkside.

The trio of Kortz, Evelyn Blood and Amara Zukowski all produced three hits each with Prince adding two hits for the Bulldogs. Zukowski scored twice and tripled while Kortz belted another home run. Blood drove in two runs and Kortz, Prince, Zukowski and Abby MItchell all had RBI's. The Bulldogs also got doubles from Orme, Prince and Zukowksi in the game.

Baar split time with Gallacher in the pitching circle. Gallacher picked up the win by allowing only one earned run and four hits with a walk in two and two-thirds of an inning. Meanwhile, Baar struck out five and walked only one while giving up three earned runs on six hits in five and a third innings.

The Bulldogs will visit Northwood on Tuesday (April 26) as they wrap up a six-game conference road stretch in Midland. First pitch for the opener is set for 3 p.m. (ET) with game two slated for approximately 5 p.m. (ET).