Ferris State Softball Returns From Ohio With Friday Afternoon Split

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad earned a non-conference regional split on Friday (Feb. 28) as the Bulldogs took on Ohio Dominican in Xenia, Ohio.

Ferris State captured a 6-1 triumph in the opening game of the twinbill before ODU responded with an 8-7 win in a tightly-contested second game.

In the opener, FSU pounded out 10 hits and limited the Panthers to only five in the victory. Ferris State broke a scoreless deadlock with two runs in the fourth and added a single run in the sixth and three more in the seventh. Ohio Dominican notched its lone run in the seventh, but could not get any closer.

Sophomore first baseman Alexis Kozlowski had a team-high three hits for the Bulldogs while centerfielder Emma Gillard notched two hits and drove in three runs. FSU catcher Paige Antcliff also had two hits and produced two RBI's in the victory while three others tallied a lone hit. Gillard had a double and a triple for FSU and Antcliff also posted a double in the win.

The trio to Catherine O'Donohue, Ella Covill-Marter and Rylie Haist allowed a single run on five hits with five strikeouts and four walks. O'Donohue hurled five and two-thirds inning of scoreless action with four K's in earning the win.

The two teams started fast in game two as the Bulldogs built a 3-1 lead after the opening frame and held a 7-5 lead after two innings of action. However, ODU scored two runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game up and added the go-ahead run in the fifth while keeping FSU off the board in its final five at-bats. The Panthers finished with nine hits compared to seven for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs were led at the plate in game two by outfielder Maddie Gkekas, who finished with two hits and drove in three runs. She also notched a triple. Meanwhile, Kozlowski doubled and scored twice for the Bulldogs. Gillard also came up with two hits and had two RBI's. Both shortstop Jayden Marlatt and catcher Emily Killion each finished with one RBI.

The Bulldogs' Cecelia Bell tossed two innings of action in game two and allowed four earned runs on five hits with two walks. Covill-Marter threw four innings, giving up a single earned run on four hits with three K's and a walk.

Ferris State is next slated to head to Florida for its annual spring break trip with six games on tap March 12-14 at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games in Melbourne.