Bulldog Softball Wins Nightcap Over #14 GVSU In League Road Split

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team wrapped up a strong weekend of action on Sunday (April 14) with a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) road split at nationally 14th-ranked rival Grand Valley State in a pair of tightly-contested league contests at the GVSU Softball Stadium.

The Lakers rallied back for a 2-1 win in the opener before Ferris State pulled out a 1-0 triumph in game two to earn the split on the road. The two league rivals ended up splitting the four regular-season matchups between the two schools in conference play this year.

In the opener, Ferris State posted the first run in the top of the fifth before the Lakers answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. FSU outhit GVSU by a 5-3 count in the contest despite the setback.

FSU centerfielder Ella McDonald drove in the only run for the Bulldogs and finished with a team-high two hits along with second baseman Jadyn Joseph. Third baseman Brooklyn Verbeek tripled for Ferris State while accounting for the other FSU hit in the contest.

The Bulldogs again got a strong performance from senior pitcher Aryn Gallacher, who pitched all six innings for FSU defensively and did not allow an earned run on three hits. She struck out one and walked none in the game. Meanwhile, GVSU's Ashley Platek gave up a single earned run on five hits in garnering the win while striking out two and walking two in seven innings of work.

In game two, the two teams battled to a scoreless deadlock thru five innings before Ferris State got the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth. The Lakers totaled nine hits in the game to five for the Bulldogs, but could not find the scoreboard in the FSU shutout victory.

Left fielder Maddie Gkekas produced the lone RBI of the game for the Bulldogs, scoring shortstop Emma Gillard in the sixth. Along with Gkekas and Gillard, the Bulldogs also got two hits from designated player Emily Killion along with a hit from Keelin Wheaton.

FSU's Ashley Webb hurled all seven innings for Ferris Tate and earned the complete game shutout, walking only one while giving up nine hits and no runs. GVSU's Genesis Eggart allowed the only run and finished with four strikeouts and three walks in the loss.

With the split, FSU is now 21-20 overall this year and owns a 9-7 record in GLIAC play, sitting in second place in the league standings.

The Bulldogs will visit Northwood on Wednesday (April 17) for a non-league doubleheader against the Timberwolves in Midland. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. (ET) for game one with game two slated for a 5 p.m. (ET) start. FSU will then return home for a pair of big league twin bills next Saturday (April 20) against Parkside and versus Purdue Northwest on Sunday (April 21) in Big Rapids.