Bulldog Softball Opens 2024 Season With Big Victory Over Lincoln Memorial

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad opened its 2024 season in impressive fashion on Friday (Feb. 2), beating host Lincoln Memorial in the season opener at the Railsplitter Invitational in Harrogate, Tenn.

The Bulldogs scored seven runs in the top of the fifth inning and came away with the victory, producing 10 hits and allowing only five in the triumph.

After FSU built a 7-0 lead in the fifth, the Bulldogs extended the lead to nine runs in the top of the sixth and Lincoln Memorial managed to score its only two runs of the game in the bottom of the frame to account for the final score.

Senior ace Aryn Gallacher notched the victory for the Bulldogs in the pitching circle, allowing no runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in four innings of action. Freshman Riley Haist tossed one and one-third of an inning while allowing two hits and two runs with two walks and a strikeout. Meanwhile, newcomer Izabeall Regner pitched one and two-third innings in relief, giving up only a single hit and no runs with a walk and two K's.

Offensively, freshman third baseman Alexis Kozlowski homered and had a double for the Bulldogs and designated player Catherine O'Donohue also had a double for the Bulldogs. Kozlowski drove in five runs while second baseman Jadyn Joseph earned two RBI's and both O'Donohue and left fielder Maddie Gkekas both produced a run at the plate. Overall, Joseph had three hits while Kozlowski and Gkekas both notched two for FSU.

The Bulldogs also finished with four stolen bases and had only a single error.

Ferris State will play two more games on Saturday (Feb. 3) at the Railsplitter Invitational with regional matchups against Findlay at 10 a.m. (ET) and Ohio Dominican at 4 p.m. (ET). FSU then closes out the event with another matchup against Findlay on Sunday (Feb. 4) starting at 10 a.m. (ET) in Tennessee.