Bulldog Softball Returns To Action In Florida With Thursday Split At Space Coast Spring Games

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad picked up a split on Thursday (March 12) at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games in Florida, falling to Goldey-Beacom 5-4 in the opener before topping Thomas More by a 2-1 count in the finale in Melbourne.

The Bulldogs returned to action after a day off in the Sunshine State and battled to a pair of one-run decisions.

In the opener game, Ferris State scored twice in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game back up after Goldey-Beacom scored a pair of runs in their first at-bat. The score stood until the fifth when the opposition took a two-run lead before adding a single run in the sixth for a 5-2 edge. The Bulldogs managed to score twice in the seventh, but could not come away with the win. FSU had six hits overall in the game.

Left fielder Ava Gardner knocked in two runs, scored twice and homered for FSU while first baseman Alexis Kozlowski doubled. Both Emma Gillard and Jayden Marlatt produced RBI's and Emma Herremans had a hit and drew two walks in the setback.

The Bulldogs' Sally Leask pitched eight innings and gave up four runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Addison Gillard threw two innings, giving up a single run on three hits with two walks and a K.

In the second game, the Bulldogs scored in the first and came up with the winning run in the seventh after Thomas More had tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Herremans had two hits while Gardner and Molly Versluis each drove in a run.

The Bulldogs' Cecelia Bell threw all seven innings and allowed a single run on seven hits with two walks in the victory.

Ferris State will close out the trip to Florida on Friday (March 13) with a pair of games against Saint Anselm and Southern Connecticut State starting at 10 a.m. (ET) and 12:15 p.m. (ET), respectively.