Ferris 7, Grand Valley 0

ALLENDALE - I am following the Ferris State University-Grand Valley State University softball doubleheader on Gametracker, the Bulldogs won the first contest by a score of 7-0 over the Lakers.

The Bulldogs scored once in the first, twice in the third, once in the sixth and three times in the seventh inning to earn the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory on the home diamond of the Lakers in Allendale.

Freshman pitcher Dana Bowler was superb as she threw all seven innings, surrendered just two hits, issued one walk and struck out seven.

Rhea Flores was 2-for-3 with two runs driven in, Lynsay Weaver was 1-for-3 with three runs driven in and two scored on a homer and Rachel Mueller was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Amanda Harrington was 2-for-2 at the plate. Other Ferris players who recorded hits in the game were Rachel Wade, Morgan Kramerich, Makenzi Peterson and Colleen Roney. In all, Ferris pounded out 10 hits and scored seven runs on Laker pitching.

Ferris is now 25-16 overall and 16-9 in the GLIAC.

Game two is already underway and I will be updating later.

Bulldogs Get Split Against Northwood In Dramatic Fashion

MIDLAND - Needing to salvage a win in some way, shape or form, Ferris State University reached down deep and escaped Northwood University with a much-needed softball split in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball action.

The Bulldogs (24-16 overall, 15-9 GLIAC) dropped a 4-0 decision in game one of the doubleheader, but rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two to take a 7-6 win over the Timberwolves in Midland.

Northwood's game-two heartbreak was a translated into a very important road triumph for the Bulldogs who remain a contender in a tightly-contested battle for the top spot in the GLIAC, for seeding in the league tournament and for NCAA regional rankings.

Game 1: Northwood 4, Ferris State 0

Junior catcher Rachel Mueller had two hits. Senior designated player/pitcher Rhea Flores, junior shortstop Lynsay Weaver and sophomore pinch hitter Lindsey Pettit each had a hit for the Bulldogs in the game-one setback. In spite of five hits, the Bulldogs were not able to push a run across the plate against the Timberwolves. Most of the damage Northwood inflicted came mostly from the top five spots in its lineup. Batting first and second, Rachel Hammer and Jamie Swick each had a hit and an RBI. NU did get some production from other spots in the lineup, but it was the top that did a good deal of the damage. Dana Bowler took the loss for the Bulldogs while Jessica Wojcik picked up the victory for Northwood.

Game 2: Ferris State 7, Northwood 6

Ferris State made created a lot of drama, but it's better to be on the positive side of a dramatic fashion than on the negative side of it. Sophomore third baseman Makenzi Peterson (pictured) tied the score at 6-6 on an RBI single. It's not the most thrilling way to end a game, but a sacrifice fly from Flores scored freshman outfielder Morgan Kramerich to give the Bulldogs a come-from-behind win over the host Timberwolves. Flores had two hits and two RBI, Peterson had two hits and an RBI, senior center fielder Rachel Wade had a hit and an RBI, Mueller had a hit and an RBI and senior second baseman Amanda Harrington had a hit and an RBI.

Ferris Hangs On To Beat Saginaw Valley In Game One, 6-5

UNIVERSITY CENTER - Ferris State University had to take it right down to the end, but emerged victorious over Saginaw Valley State University in game one of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader.

The Bulldogs scored a 6-5 win over the Cardinals (April 24) as Rhea Flores came on in relief of starter Dana Bowler to shut the door on an SVSU rally in the bottom of the seventh inning.

This series is monumentally important for Ferris which needs wins this weekend (against Saginaw Valley and Wayne State University, two of the top teams in the league, region and nation) to keep alive for the conference title and in contention for the NCAA Tournament (both still very real possibilities).

Morgan Kramerich was 1-for-4 with a run scored (a home run) and two RBI, Flores was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a run driven in, Colleen Roney was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI and Amanda Harrington was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Rachel Mueller also had two hits for the Bulldogs.

Ferris Drops 2-1 Decision To Northwood

BIG RAPIDS - Playing against Northwood University, and its ace pitcher Megan Eddy, is fast becoming a pain for Ferris State University's softball team.

The Bulldogs spotted the Timberwolves two runs in the bottom of the first inning and Northwood never trailed en route to a 2-1 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory on Wednesday afternoon at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids. Wednesday's loss spoiled a solid pitching performance by freshman Dana Bowler who held Northwood to just two hits and the two runs (one earned) while she struck out nine.

Northwood center fielder Jamie Swick drew a walk and the next batter, Tiffany Melgoza, belted an RBI double to put the Timberwolves up 1-0. A throwing error led to another run as Melgoza scored for a 2-0 edge.

Ferris finally put some offense on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning as senior center fielder Rachel Wade drove in the team's lone run (junior Colleen Roney scored after she had tripled) on a single. The offense ultimately stalled as Ferris stranded two runners on base after sophomore third baseman Makenzi Peterson flew out to center.

The Bulldogs mustered a couple of hits (a line shot from senior designated player Rhea Flores and a single up the middle from junior catcher Rachel Mueller), but could not score anyone as Eddy held them off in the bottom of the seventh to help NU secure the win.

The loss as a tough one for Ferris which needs to put together some wins coming down the stretch of this season against some tough competition.

To close the regular season, Ferris has the following schedule:

Apr. 24	at Saginaw Valley State *		1:00 PM	Live stats
	at Saginaw Valley State *		3:00 PM	Live stats
Apr. 25	at Wayne State *		12:00 PM
	at Wayne State *		2:00 PM
Apr. 27	at Northwood *		3:00 PM
	at Northwood *		5:30 PM
May. 1	at Grand Valley State *		2:00 PM	Live stats
	at Grand Valley State *		4:00 PM	Live stats

Again, this is a tough schedule to end the season as all of these opponents represent quality. These are all teams in the regional picture Saginaw Valley State, Wayne State and Northwood) or battling to get in the regional picture (Grand Valley State).

The bad news is the schedule is tough to end the season, but the good news is that the schedule is tough to end the season.

These games represent opportunity for Ferris to prove themselves and make their case to be one of the better teams in the region by knocking off quality opponents.

Photo caption:

Ferris State softball coach Keri Becker (left) gives signs to a batter while player Colleen Roney stands on third base during Wednesday's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball game at the FSU Softball Field against Northwood. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

Bulldogs Pick Up Four Important Wins Over Weekend

BIG RAPIDS - In the simplest of terms, Ferris State University needed three to four wins this past weekend to stay in the race for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship ... and a whole bunch of other stuff.

The Bulldogs got the four wins in four tries they needed as they swept Findlay on Saturday and then returned to Michigan to sweep Hillsdale on Sunday. Saturday, Ferris rolled to wins of 10-1 and 5-4 against the Oilers. Sunday, looking to finish off the weekend in an impressive fashion, the Bulldogs showed no signs of a slow down as they picked up victories of 10-2 and 5-1 against the host Chargers.

Head coach Keri Becker's squad found its hitting confidence and the numbers indicate that it was as contagious as ever.

Ferris 10, Findlay 1

In the first game, against Findlay, sophomore Makenzi Peterson was 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, three runs scored and three runs driven in. Rhea Flores, a senior, also was 3-for-4 at the dish with three runs driven in and a run scored. Sophomore Chelsea Morris also was 2-for-3 as another player with multiple hits in that win. Freshman Dana Bowler was the winning pitcher as she struck out six and improved to 4-4 this season.

Ferris 5, Findlay 4

Morris, Flores and Colleen Roney all were 2-for-3 with a run driven in as Ferris scored twice in the fifth and once in the bottom of the sixth to come from behind and steal a win over the host Oilers. Flores was the winning pitcher as she came on in relief and got the job done in the circle against Findlay.

Ferris 10, Hillsdale 2

Bowler picked up the win as she threw all five innings and struck out five Chargers to earn her fifth win of the campaign. Amanda Harrington, a senior, was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and five runs driven in (she also had a home run). Peterson had a three-run homer for the Bulldogs as she continued to play long ball over the weekend.

Ferris 5, Hillsdale 1

Kayle Stevenson was brilliant pitching against her former team. She threw all seven innings, allowed one hit, one run (unearned) and struck out nine. Morgan Kramerich, a freshman outfielder, was 3-for-3 with a run scored and one driven in. Senior Rachel Wade was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a run driven in while Rachel Mueller, a junior, was 2-for-3 with a home, a run scored and two RBI.

The Bulldogs, now 15-10 overall and 6-3 in the conference, have a big test coming up this week as they host rival Grand Valley State on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in a GLIAC doubleheader at the FSU Softball Field.

Ferris Sweeps Lake Superior State

Ferris State's Lynsay Weaver gets an out at second base during Friday afternoon's home games at the FSU Softball Field against Lake Superior State. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS - After struggling to string together hits in a pair of losses to 14th-ranked Saginaw Valley State University, Ferris State University had no such troubles on Friday afternoon in softball action against Lake Superior State University.

The Bulldogs pounded out 12 hits in game one and eight more in game two as they rolled to wins of 7-0 and 6-5 over the visiting Lakers in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at the FSU Softball Field. After struggling to string together hits in the two losses to the Cardinals, on Wednesday, Ferris head coach Keri Becker went to work with her assistant coaches (Lesa Bickley, Dawn Thompson and Jeannine Ravellette) to shake things up a little bit.

"We needed to do something to help them mentally. For most of them it wasn't a mechanical thing," Becker said as her team improved to 11-9 overall and 2-2 in the GLIAC standings. "So, we adjusted our practice that way and we put some pressure on them and still got a lot of reps to get a good feel."

In game one, the eight hits could hardly have been more balanced. Accounting for the eight hits were: Rachel Wade, Morgan Kramerich, Rachel Mueller, Rhea Flores, Chelsea Morris, Makenzi Peterson, Stephanie Dusendang and Amanda Harrington. Mueller had a two-RBI double and also with RBIs were Wade, Peterson, Dusendang and Harrington.

In game two, Ferris continued to hit the ball well. Wade had three hits (including a double) and two RBI, Mueller had a hit, Flores had two hits, Lindsey Pettit had a hit, Peterson had two doubles and an RBI, Harrington had two hits (including a triple) and three RBI, and Colleen Roney had a hit.

"The other thing we worked on was pitch selection," Becker said. "For some of them, that was an issue. Those two things we worked on Thursday and I saw a good result (on Friday) not only with their pitch selection, but also with their confidence."

In game one, Kayle Stevenson was the winning pitcher as she struck out seven and walked one in seven innings to improve to 4-5. In game two, Flores moved to 4-0 as she pitched six innings and struck out five. Dana Bowler came in and earned her second save of the season as she tossed one inning and struck out one.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to host Northwood University on Saturday in a doubleheader that starts at 1 p.m.

SPRING 2008 BLOG 13: Streaking Bulldogs Do It With Offense

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Ferris State head softball coach Keri Becker didn’t have to think long when asked what has been going so right for her Bulldogs since the team’s return from Florida.

Back in Michigan, after more than a week of competition in the Sunshine State in early March, Ferris has hit its stride – particularly offensively. After winning three of four Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference road games over the weekend, sweeping Northwood and splitting with Saginaw Valley State, the Bulldogs looked sharp in a doubleheader against non-conference foe Cornerstone Monday afternoon. Back at the FSU Softball Field, Ferris earned a 5-0 win over the Golden Eagles in the opener and enjoyed a dominating offensive effort to secure the sweep with a 13-2 victory in the nightcap to improve to 16-9 on the season, overall, while remaining 7-1 in the GLIAC’s standings.

The key to Monday’s sweep, and this stretch of 11 wins in 12 games as the big picture, has been the ability to string together hits – especially the big ones.

“Basically, we’ve got offense coming from a lot of different people right now and that has definitely been one of the biggest differences since we got back from Florida,” said Becker, whose team hosts league rival Wayne State in a pair of non-conference games at the FSU Softball Field on Wednesday beginning at 4 p.m. “It was nice to get that offense going and it was nice to get a lot of different people in the games to give (those younger players) some valuable game experience.”

Still, this recent string of success started with offense. Even with the wind blowing in, at the FSU Softball Field, the Bulldogs hit the ball hard time and time again. Redshirt freshman outfielder Rachel Wade had a big first game as she finished with two of Ferris’ eight hits including a double and two runs driven in. Senior third baseman Katie Kraai had a pair of hits while rookie outfielder Brooke Lewis batted 2-for-3 with a run scored as she started in right field.

In game two, Ferris’ offense was even better as the team pushed across 13 runs on 10 hits. Freshman second baseman Lynsay Weaver batted 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one driven in, redshirt freshman first baseman Rachel Mueller was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, Wade finished 1-for-3 with three RBI, Kraai was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a run driven in while Lewis hit 1-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI.

Of significance, for the Bulldogs, was the ability to string together hits against Cornerstone’s pitching staff – something that had previously plagued the team at times in Florida.

“Our hitting has really improved since we got back from Florida and there are a lot more people who are hitting and hitting with confidence,” said Wade as the Bulldogs also had winning pitching performances from Kayle Stevenson (1-1) and Rhea Flores (1-0). “Our hitting has gotten better since Florida and our defense also has improved a lot to go with our pitching.”

SPRING 2008 BLOG 9: Ferris ends on a high note with two wins – now looks ahead

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Ferris State had the look of a team hungry to finish its annual spring softball trip on a high note and that showed Saturday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla.

A strong finish was important for the team. A 4-2 start turned nightmarish as the Bulldogs fell to three games below .500 at just 5-8 entering their final day of the trip to central Florida. Adversity – as is so often the case – is a true test of character for a team as Ferris discovered on Saturday. It was decision-making time for the Bulldogs who had to decide on what note they wanted their Florida trip to end with games against St. Xavier and New Haven left.

Ferris answered the loud call, however, and played some of its best ball of the week as the team secured wins of 8-4, against St. Xavier, and 8-0, against New Haven to end the trip just an eyelash below the .500 mark at 7-8.

Perhaps, most importantly of all, head coach Keri Becker’s team now has a point of reference to figure out where they want their season to go from here.

Here is an early evaluation of the Bulldogs:

INFIELD: Ferris has a veteran presence on its infield with Amanda Jager, an experienced junior, playing first base; Amanda Harrington, a sophomore, solidifying the team up the middle from second base; McKenzie West, a junior, who returns at shortstop with starting experience; Katie Kraai, a senior, who has become a cornerstone at third over the years; and Krystle Bailey, who has been a rock-solid presence behind the plate as the starting catcher. Becker also has used redshirt freshman Rachel Mueller, at first base, and freshman Lynsay Weaver, at shortstop, to mix things up during portions of the trip.

OUTFIELD: This was the area where the Bulldogs knew they were going to be a little youthful with a lack of experience. Juniors Sarah Mueller and Holly Bruntjens are pitchers who have had some time in the outfield in the past. Another pitcher, Kayle Stevenson, also has been inserted into the outfield, mostly in right, this spring so far. Becker also has mixed true freshmen like Weaver, Colleen Roney, Brooke Lewis as well as redshirt freshman Rachel Wade – among others – in the outfield. There is some potential out there on the grass, for the Bulldogs, but gaining confidence and experience will be a big key for Ferris.

PITCHERS: Ferris has a deep roster of pitchers and all saw action during the week in the circle for Becker. Mueller, Stevenson, Bruntjens, Rhea Flores and Jager all had opportunities to prove themselves as Ferris continues its evaluation for the upcoming Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schedule that begins not long after the return to Michigan. Like the rest of the squad, the pitchers had their highs and lows, but when they were on their game they were awful tough. On Ferris’ final day, which featured games against St. Xavier and New Haven, the Bulldogs enjoyed strong pitching efforts from Mueller and Bruntjens as the offense also came through for a pair of wins.

OFFENSE: Ferris, at times, blinded opponents with flashes of offensive brilliance as it used the long ball, at times, and used the short game, at other times, to find success with run production. One of the early bright spots was the production of the lower half of the order which showed some potential to put a lot of runs on the scoreboard as Bruntjens, Weaver and Roney had their bright spots delivering hits and driving in runs. Jager has been off to a hot start swinging the bat and working her way on base via the walk or as a result of being hit by pitches. Bailey, hitting in the No. 3 spot, had a big final day as she batted 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI against St. Xavier and then 1-for-2 with a run scored and a run driven in against New Haven.

DEFENSE: This is an area of concern for the team, but when the focus was present the Bulldogs were solid behind their pitching staff. When the defense and pitching clicked together, with a little bit of scoring, Ferris proved tough to handle. Over the course of the week, Ferris started to cut down on some of the errors that had plagued them at times.

ANALYSIS: The team is not in its ideal position, with a record of 7-8, but they do now have a point of reference from which to look ahead. Ferris must continue to cut down on errors (mental and physical errors), find ways to string hits together a little better and stay mentally tough and together from start to finish. The pieces are in place – as proven by the team’s preseason No. 25 national ranking and how high the Bulldogs were picked to finish in the GLIAC.

Now, it’s time to just do it.