Ferris State Garners Road Split After Game Two Victory At Wayne State

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad earned yet another split on Thursday (April 4) as the Bulldogs came away with an exciting 6-4 extra-inning victory over Wayne State in Detroit in the finale after WSU had posted a 6-1 win in the opening game of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) twinbill.

With the split, which was FSU's fourth in its past five league doubleheaders, the Bulldogs are now 15-17 overall and remained even in GLIAC play at 6-6 on the year.

In the opener, the Warriors totaled 10 hits and limited Ferris State to six while also taking advantage of three Bulldog errors in the field. WSU jumped in front with a single run in the second and it remained a one-run difference into the bottom of the fifth before the Warriors came up with two runs each in both the fifth and sixth frames.

Ferris State got two hits in game one from outfielder Paige Kortz with Lexi Hongisto, Kylie Winkels, Sawyer Wightman and Rebecca Piron all adding one each. Winkels drove in the Bulldogs' only run. FSU's Connor Proctor threw all six innings and allowed six runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts and a walk in the setback.

However, FSU responded with a strong performance in game two as the Bulldogs notched a 6-4 win in eight innings. Both teams scored two runs each in the first and one in the second before Ferris State moved in front with a run in the fifth. After WSU scored in the sixth to tie it back up, the Bulldogs finally produced two runs in the eighth and kept the Warriors off the board in the victory.

Ferris State was outhit 11-8 in the nightcap, but the Bulldogs got multiple-hit performances from both second baseman Kodi Ramirez along with leftfielder Jessica Tucci, who each had two. Ramirez also tallied three RBI's, including two with the eventual game-winning hit that drove in two runs in the eighth. Tucci and Winkels also both had an RBI in the victory along with shortstop Logan Fleming, who doubled.

Junior Abby Highway earned the game two win by tossing all eight innings, giving up only three earned runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

Ferris State will visit Northwood on Saturday (April 6) for a league twinbill in Midland starting at 12 p.m. (ET). FSU then returns home to host rival and nationally-ranked Grand Valley State on Sunday (April 7) beginning at noon in Big Rapids.