Ferris State Softball Starts 2026 Season With Two Wins On Friday In Florida
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mount Olive | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 4 |
|
Ferris State | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | X | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ferris State | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
|
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad started the 2026 season in impressive fashion with a pair of wins on Friday (Jan. 30) at the Embry-Riddle Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Bulldogs began the year 2-0 by beating Mount Olive by a 9-7 score in the opener and then topped host Embry-Riddle by a 6-5 margin in the nightcap.
In the opener, newcomer Sally Leask earned her first win, tossing five and one-third innings of action. She allowed only two earned runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Cecelia Bell hurled one and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs on seven hits with two K's in the triumph.
Offensively, the Bulldogs finished with five hits overall, including two from designated playe Jayden Marlatt. She also drew two walks. Outfielder Ava Gardner drove in two runs and homered in the game with a walk. FSU also got an RBI from first baseman Alexis Kozlowski while Emma Gillard and Emma Herremans added hits.
The Bulldogs took an early 2-0 lead in the game, but trailed 5-4 after two innings of work. Ferris State eventually came up with five runs in the bottom of the fifth and shutout Mount Olive in each of the final two innings.
In game two, Ferris State scored four of the final five runs of the game to beat host Embry-Riddle with two runs apiece in both the fifth and sixth frames. FSU had seven hits overall in the win.
Bell claimed the pitching win by allowing only two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in four innings. Katie Shuboy threw three innings with three runs allowed on six hits to go with three strikeouts and a walk.
Marlatt had two hits in the game two victory while both Gillard and second baseman Jadyn Joseph drove in two runs each. Both Marlatt and Joseph doubled while Ella McDonald had a triple and Gillard homered in the victroy.
Ferris State will be back in action with two more games on Saturday (Jan. 31) versus Columbus State and Pittsburg State at 12:30 p.m. (ET) and 5:30 p.m. (ET), respectively, in Daytona Beach.