Ferris State Softball Notches Sweep To Finish Annual Spring Break Trip To Florida

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team closed out its annual spring break trip to Florida with a sweep on Friday (March 13) as FSU notched a pair of non-conference wins at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games in Melbourne.

The Bulldogs topped Saint Anselm 7-0 in the opener on the final day of the event before pulling out a 2-1 triumph over Northern State (S.D.) in the final game of the week.

In the opener, the Bulldogs pounded out 10 hits and limited Saint Anselm to only three in coming away with the shutout victory. FSU scored a run in both the second and the third innings before adding four more in the fourth along with one in the seventh.

Designated player Ava Gardner had three hits for FSU and knocked in two runs while FSU also got two-hit performances from right fielder Ella McDonald, first baseman Alexi Kozlowski and left fielder Breanna Blair. Kozlowski also drove in two runs while Blair had one RBI in the triumph. Gardner hit a pair of triples along with a double while Kozloski also garnered a double in the game.

FSU's Katie Shuboy claimed the win in the pitching circle for her sixth victory of the season, striking out seven and walking two with only three hits allowed in the shutout performance.

In game two, the Bulldogs took the early lead with a run in the first and pushed the margin to two runs by adding another in the third. The Wolves got their only run in the fourth, but could not claim the win despite totaling six hits to three for FSU.

Ferris State's hits came from McDonald, Kozlowski and center fielder Emma Gillard. Both Gardner and Gillard had RBI's for the Bulldogs and Kozlowski recorded a triple in the win.

In the circle, Addison Gillard tossed three and two-thirds innings for FSU with no earned runs allowed on four hits. She had three walks and a strikeout. Cecelia Bell went three and one-third innings, giving up no runs and only two hits with three K's.

The Bulldogs, who are now 14-11 overall this year, finished the week in Florida with a 5-3 mark and won their final three outings.

Ferris State is slated to begin Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play at home on March 21 and March 22 against Saginaw Valley State and Wayne State, respectively, at the FSU Softball Field if weather permits.