Ferris State Softball Sweeps Wayne State To Start League Action In Home-Opening Series

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad started off Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play in a big way on Sunday (March 22) as FSU rolled past Wayne State in a league twin bill at the FSU Softball Field.

In the first home action of the year, Ferris State opened GLIAC action with a perfect 2-0 mark by beating the Warriors 9-3 in the opener and 8-1 in the nightcap in chilly conditions. The Bulldogs hit six home runs overall on the day.

In the opening game, the Bulldogs belted four home runs en route to the 9-3 win. Overall, FSU had eight hits to six for the Warriors.

Wayne State jumped out in front in game one by scoring three times in first, but the Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer to right field off the bat of Emma Herremans.

In the bottom of the third, Ferris State took the lead as first baseman Alexis Kozlowski led off with a home run to right field. Soon after, Emma Gillard homered to center field on a two-run shot to give FSU the advantage.

The Bulldogs added four additional runs in the fourth, including Gillard's second home run of the game on a two-run blast to right field, which capped the scoring.

Along with the two home runs from Gillard and the round-trippers from Kozlowski and Herremans, the Bulldogs also got doubles off the bats of second baseman Jadyn Joseph and Molly Versluis. Gillard finished with four RBI's while Kozlowski and Herremans each drove in two runs and left fielder Ava Gardner produced one.

In the pitching circle, Katie Shuboy claimed her seventh win of the campaign, striking out four and walking three with seven innings of work. She allowed three earned runs on six hits overall.

The Bulldogs kept the momentum going by taking game two 8-1, totaling nine hits overall to only five for WSU.

In game two, Ferris State scored a run in the first and one more in the second before coming up with five runs in the fourth to grab a 7-1 lead. FSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and shut the door on WSU in the seventh.

Ferris State came up with two more home runs in the second game, both coming in the fourth inning off the bats of Emily Killion and Gardner. Along with the two home runs, the Bulldogs also got a double from Jayden Marlatt.

Offensively, the Bulldogs got three RBI's from Gardner along with two by Killion. Kozlowski, Herremans and Molly Versluis each knocked in one run for FSU.

In the pitching circle, the Bulldogs got a big performance from Cecelia Bell, who allowed only a single run on five hits with three strikeouts and no walks in seven innings of work.

Ferris State is now 16-11 overall this year and the Bulldogs have won seven of the their last nine contests overall.

The Bulldogs will host Saginaw Valley State on Tuesday (March 24) in a rescheduled league doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. (ET) for game one and 3 p.m. (ET) for game two in Big Rapids.