UNIVERSITY CENTER – It is do-or-die time for Ferris State University on the softball diamond.
If the Bulldogs want to avoid elimination, they must run the table the rest of the way out in the 2009 NCAA Division II Midwest Sub-Regional Softball Tournament. Ferris moved to the brink of elimination after a 3-0 loss to Northern Kentucky on Friday. It was an offensive struggle all game for Ferris. The Bulldogs were shut out on two hits with an error.
Ferris, at 33-9, wants to avoid its 10th loss of the season as it will face the loser between Saginaw Valley State University and Lewis. At this point, the opponent is almost immaterial. The Bulldogs know they have to play a much better and far more emotion-driven brand of ball to stay alive this season.
Against the Norse, senior outfielder Sarah Mueller returned to the lineup (for the first time since Florida) in left field and had one hit while the other hit came from designated player Rhea Flores in the seventh inning. Outside of that, the Bulldogs struggled to find any kind of swinging rhythm against NKU pitcher April Ehlers.
“(Ehlers) did a great job throwing the ball at three different speeds and we didn’t really do a good job adjusting to her speeds,” Ferris head coach Keri Becker said. “I really thought we got enough good pitches to hit, but when we got those good pitches we didn’t take advantage and really hit the ball.”
It was difficult to fault Holly Bruntjens, Ferris’ pitcher – who took the loss. Bruntjens surrendered three runs (two earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts. But, as Ferris scored no runs in the game, it would have been impossible for Bruntjens to escape with a victory. NKU had a couple of big hits as third baseman Cara Parker finished 2-for-3 with a home run and drove in all three Norse runs.
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