Ferris State Falls In Nine-Inning Thriller In GLIAC Championship Game; Now Awaits NCAA Selections

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball squad had its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Championship run come to an end on Sunday (May 10) as the Bulldogs fell to top-seeded Saginaw Valley State by a 2-1 score in the title game in a nine-inning thriller at the Crown Point Sportsplex in Indiana.

The Bulldogs made their first appearance in the GLIAC Tournament Championship Game since 2012 and needed to beat SVSU twice in the double-elimination event to capture their first title in more than 20 years.

Ferris State nearly forced the if necessary game two as the Bulldogs scored the first run of the game in the top of the third inning on an RBI from third baseman Emma Herremans, which scored outfielder Ella McDonald, and kept a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

In the seventh inning, the Cardinals got a lead off double from Ella Schneider and she advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Aalana Kimble reached on a fielder's choice and Jenna Morse followed with an RBI single to tie the game. FSU intentionally walked Olivia Elliott to load the bases. Kate Pnacek flied out to center field, which appeared to score Kimble for the winning run and a premature celebration followed. However, Kimble was ruled out for leaving the base early and the game went to extra innings.

Neither team scored in the eighth frame and the Cardinals kept FSU off the board in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the inning, SVSU claimed the victroy as Pnacek singled to center field, driving in Kimble for the winning run.

The Cardinals finished with seven hits and FSU had six in the game to go with two errors in the field.

The Bulldogs got a pair of hits from outfielder Ava Gardner along with the lone RBI from Herremans. First baseman Alexis Kozlowski along with Herremans, designated player Emily Killion and second baseman Jadyn Joseph added one hit apiece.

In the circle, Cecelia Bell tossed seven innings for FSU and allowed only one earned run on six hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Katie Shuboy pitched one and one-third innings, allowing one earned run on one hit.

The Bulldogs concluded the league tournament with a 2-2 mark, which included wins over Grand Valley State and Purdue Northwest to go with their only two setbacks to SVSU. Ferris State is now 37-20 overall this season.

FSU was ranked eighth in this past week's NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Rankings prior to its run to the GLIAC Championship round and will now await the NCAA D2 Selection Show slated to air on Monday morning at 10 a.m. (ET) at NCAA.com to learn its postseason fate. The Bulldogs are seeking their second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.