Flores, Stevenson, Wade And Peterson All Honored By GLIAC

MIDLAND - Ferris State University had two players earn second-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball team honors while two others earned honorable mention recognition.

Designated player Rhea Flores and pitcher Kayle Stevenson, both seniors, were named to the GLIAC Softball All-Conference Second Team in an announcement made over the weekend by the officials of the league. On the honorable mention listing, senior outfielder Rachel Wade was honored as was sophomore third baseman Makenzi Peterson.

Flores, a 2009 second-team All-GLIAC selection, has enjoyed a solid senior season batting .299 while leading being tied for team-best honors with 38 hits. The Dearborn Heights native who prepped at Southgate Anderson High School also pitched for head coach Keri Becker's squad and had some solid outings in the circle as both a reliever and as a starter during the 2010 campaign. Flores was 6-0 as a pitcher with two saves to her credit.

Stevenson, a left-handed pitcher, is 12-6 this season with a 1.98 earned run average in 20 appearances in the circle for the Bulldogs. The native of Holland, who prepped at West Ottawa High School, was a steady force as a pitcher for the Bulldogs with an unflappable demeanor with the ball in her hands.

Peterson, in just her second year, had a banner campaign as she posted career single-season bests in batting average (.343), hits (36), doubles (nine), RBI (20), slugging percentage (.505), and on-base percentage (.395) for the Big Rapids native while playing steady defense at third base.

2010 All-GLIAC Softball Teams and Postseason Awards
Player of the Year: Alison Allen - WSU / Pitcher of the Year: Casey Hanes - WSU
Freshman of the Year: Katie Martin - GVSU
“Michael J. Corbett” GLIAC Coach of the Year: Sheilah Gulas – AU
GLIAC Softball All-Conference First Team
Pos.	Name	School	Year	Hometown/Previous School
1B	Becca Ryan	Wayne State	So.	Westland, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child
2B	Carrie Hosier	Ashland	Sr.	Decatur, Ala.
SS	Jaci Banton	Wayne State	Sr.	Richmond Hill, Ontario/Cardinal Carter
3B	Michelle Boscola	Northwood	Sr.	Broomfield, Colo./Legacy
C	Brittany Omelanchuk	Wayne State	Fr.	Brooklin, Ont./Wilson S.S.
OF	Alison Allen	Wayne State	So.	Redford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy
OF	Erica Miller	Ashland	Jr.	Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central
OF	Devon Trimmer	Hillsdale	Sr.	Baltimore, Ohio
DP	Jessica McKeith	Saginaw Valley State	Jr.	River Rouge, Mich.
UT	Megan Eddy	Northwood	Jr.	Merrill, Mich.
UT	Logan Hursey	Ashland	Jr.	Zanesville, Ohio/John Glenn
P	Emlyn Knerem	Ashland	So.	Brunswick, Ohio
P	Casey Hanes	Wayne State	Sr.	Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman
GLIAC Softball All-Conference Second Team
Pos.	Name	School	Year	Hometown/Previous School
1B	Breanne Kronberg	Grand Valley State	Sr.	Orland Park, Ill.
2B	Kayleigh Bertram	Grand Valley State	Fr.	Lockport, Ill.
SS	Megan Baird	Tiffin	So.	Ajax, Ont./J. Clarke Richardson
3B	Amanda Temple	Tiffin	So.	Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer
C	Tawna Garver	Ashland	Fr.	Mansfield, Ohio/Hillsdale
OF	Katie Ammons	Findlay	Sr.	Findlay, Ohio
OF	Angela Kaiser	Saginaw Valley State	Sr.	Waterford, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes
OF	Nellie Kosola	Grand Valley State	Fr.	Frankfort, Ill.
DP	Rhea Flores	Ferris State	Sr.	Dearborn Heights, Mich./Southgate Anderson
UT	Lauren Memmer	Saginaw Valley State	So.	White Lake, Mich./Lakeland
UT	Delaney Talmage	Tiffin	Jr.	Millbury, Ohio
P	Alexa Gehrls	Saginaw Valley State	Fr.	Caledonia, Mich.
P	Kayle Stevenson	Ferris State	Sr.	Holland, Mich./West Ottawa
GLIAC Softball All-Conference Honorable Mention Team
Pos.	Name	School	Year	Hometown/Previous School
DP	Samantha Hendrix	Ashland	Sr.	Rogersvlle, Ala./Madison Academy
3B	Alyssa Kelley	Ashland	So.	Mentor, Ohio
1B	Calli Coppus	Findlay	Jr.	Tififin, Ohio/Mohawk
OF	Jaci Messmer	Findlay	Jr.	Forest, Ohio/Hardin Northern
3B	Makenzi Peterson	Ferris State	So.	Big Rapids, Mich.
OF	Rachel Wade	Ferris State	Sr.	Canton, Mich.
3B	Katie Martin	Grand Valley State	Fr.	Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer
C	Carli Raisutis	Grand Valley State	So.	Palos Heights, Ill./Stagg
3B	Jessica Guertin	Hillsdale	So.	Lancaster, Calif./Desert Christian
1B	Jennifer Berlet	Hillsdale	So.	Walton, Ind./Lewis Cass
1B	Lorrie Chaperon	Lake Superior State	Sr.	Howell, Mich.
OF	Nicole Carstensen	Lake Superior State	Jr.	Maple Grove, Minn.
C	Marissa Borkowski	Northwood	Fr.	Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson
P/1B	Jessica Wojcik	Northwood	Sr.	Highland, Mich./Milford
OF	Billi Hoeppner	Saginaw Valley State	Sr.	Hemlock, Mich.
P	Kari Bowlby	Saginaw Valley State	Sr.	Elkhart, Ind./Central
UTL	Tiffany Smith	Tiffin	Jr.	Newark, Ohio
2B	Lauren Mazzuca	Tiffin	So.	Hamilton, Ontario
OF	Stephanie LeClair	Wayne State	Sr.	Kitchener, Ont./Forest Heights C.I.
3B	Rebecca Stanley	Wayne State	So.	Waterloo, Ont.

Graphic: Ferris State University Athletics Communications

Ferris 12, Grand Valley 2

ALLENDALE - Playing well on the road, Ferris State University rolled to a 12-2 five-inning win over Grand Valley State University to sweep a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series on the home field of the Lakers.

The Bulldogs continued to hit the ball well as Ferris pounded out 12 runs on 12 hits. It was a hit party for Ferris as Chelsea Morris had three hits and an RBI, Rachel Wade has two hits and three RBI, Rhea Flores had three hits, Makenzi Peterson had a hit and an RBI, Rachel Mueller had a hit and an RBI, and Amanda Harrington had a hit and two RBI.

The Bulldogs scored once in the first, five times in the third and six times in the fourth.

Kayle Stevenson earned the win as she pitched five innings, allowed six hits, two runs (one earned), four walks and had three strikeouts. With the win, Stevenson improved to 12-6 on the season.

With the win, Ferris improves to 26-16 overall and 17-9 in GLIAC competition.

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)

Ferris softball team survives trip to Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE - Lake Superior State University is home to a softball team that doesn't have the great record, but has enough talent to put a scare in opponents.

In four games against Lake Superior this spring, Ferris State University has gotten a couple of scares, but still has emerged 4-0 against the Lakers (a perfect record that was nothing short of essential as the Bulldogs seek to stay in the hunt for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and for positioning relative to GLIAC Tournament seeding and NCAA Division II Tournament seeding. But, those two are well down the line for Ferris.

Monday, the Bulldogs went to the Soo and defeated the Lakers 9-0 in the first game and 6-5 in game two to pull off the sweep as Ferris improves to 20-13 overall and 11-6 in GLIAC

action, On April 4, Ferris swept LSSU 7-0 and 6-5.

In Monday's 9-0 win, Ferris showed its depth as freshman catcher Liz Hamming played and showed a good stick as she batted 2-for-2 with two RBI and a double. Sophomore outfielder Stephanie Dusendang was 2-for-2 with two runs scored. For all the numbers from the game, check the box score, here.

In Monday's second game, sophomore Makenzi Peterson, senior Rhea Flores and sophomore Chelsea Morris each had two hits. Morris had two RBI. Junior shortstop Lynsay Weaver batted 1-for-2 with two runs driven in. For more numbers from game two, visit the FSU Web site for the box score, here.

Wednesday, the Bulldogs host Northwood University in a one-game set to make up for a game earlier this season that was rained out in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs and Timberwolves take the diamond at 3:30 p.m. at Ferris. It's a big game for Ferris as Northwood is playing very well this season and, as of now, is one of the better teams in the GLIAC.

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 Drops Two Games To No. 14 Saginaw Valley

Ferris State's Amanda Harrington slides into third base during Wednesday afternoon's game against No. 14 Saginaw Valley State University at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS - The box scores for Wednesday afternoon's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball games show nine hits in two games for Ferris State University against No. 14 Saginaw Valley State University.

But, the Bulldogs of head coach Keri Becker had a hard time stringing together hits to put runs on the scoreboard against the visiting Cardinals and ultimately were swept by scores of 2-0 and 4-1 at the FSU Softball Field in the GLIAC openers for both teams. Throughout the game, Becker encouraged her team to be a little more selective at the plate, to wait on good pitches and then drive them to spots on the field. But, Ferris had a tough time stringing those hits together against Saginaw Valley's pitchers.

In the first game of the afternoon, the Bulldogs were held scoreless on four hits against SVSU pitcher Jade Fulton (7-1 on the season), who was superb with seven strikeouts and only one walk. Accounting for the Ferris hits were freshman left fielder Morgan Kramerich, junior shortstop Lynsay Weaver, sophomore third baseman Makenzi Peterson and senior second baseman Amanda Harrington.

In the circle, senior pitcher Kayle Stevenson took the loss for the Bulldogs as she dropped to 3-5 on the season. Stevenson threw all seven innings, allowed nine hits, two runs (both earned), walked one and struck out one. The run support was not there for Stevenson, who surrendered just the two runs (both of which were scored in the third inning).

In game two, the Bulldogs drew first blood as Rhea Flores picked up an RBI as she grounded out to score Kramerich (who reached on a single up the middle).

The Cardinals, however, responded with two runs in the bottom of the second and two more in the bottom of the fourth to take command of the game.

Freshman pitcher Dana Bowler took the loss for the Bulldogs as her record fell to 3-4 on the season. She threw six innings, allowed six hits, four runs (all earned), two walks, struck out three and was charged with two wild pitches. Kari Bowlby earned the win for SVSU as she improved to 6-0 on the season.

Again, the Bulldogs had trouble mustering run support. Ferris had five hits (three of which were from Kramerich, who had a solid afternoon). Flores and Peterson had the other two hits.

Ferris, now 9-9 on the season, hosts Lake Superior Sate University on Friday in a doubleheader with the first game to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Game one box score
Game two box score

Stevenson Has High Hopes For The Bulldogs During Her Senior Season

BIG RAPIDS - Kayle Stevenson has been on quite a journey since her prep days as a student-athlete at West Ottawa High School in Holland.

A crafty lefty pitcher by trade, Stevenson began her career at Hillsdale College before she transferred to her current softball home: Ferris State University. As is the case with any college athletics career, Stevenson has had her share of ups and downs. But, as she embarks on her final season of college softball, she is hopeful to end what she started on a high note marked by team success for head coach Keri Becker's softball squad in the face of a challenging schedule.

As snow falls outdoors, Stevenson and her teammates continue preparation for their spring softball campaign indoors inside the Ewigleben Sports Complex. Conditions are hardly ideal, but over the years the conditions have in many ways toughened up these Bulldogs and made them particularly hungry to take their game outdoors as weather permits. Even with the early challenges, Stevenson thinks practice has been positive to this point.

"Practice is going well so far," said Stevenson, who was 12-1 last season with a 0.91 earned run average and 60 strikeouts as part of a banner 2009 spring season that witnessed her named second-team All-GLIAC. "We've been indoors which is difficult and we've had a few injuries in the preseason, but players should be healthy and coming back soon so we will be at full strength pretty quickly."

Hopes are running high for this team in 2010.

This year, as a senior, leadership duties fall largely on the shoulders of experienced players like Stevenson - players who understand what it takes to be successful against top-notch Division II opposition. Stevenson expects to show her leadership by example, but she also can be vocal when she needs to and likely will as this season continues for the Bulldogs.

"It is definitely a challenge, but it's an exciting one. Having people that look up to you," said Stevenson, who played her freshman year (2006) at Hillsdale, transferred to Ferris, sat out in 2007 and resumed her playing career in 2008. "You have to be a good role model, work hard and practice hard. You hope that when people see that from you then they will do the same."

By nature, softball clearly is an outdoor sport. But, the necessity for teams from cold-weather regions to begin their seasons indoors is a test of patience, creative practicing and more.

"A little changes when we come inside," said Stevenson, who batted .269 last season with seven hits in 19 games. "We get more back to basics and a lot of repetition with grounders, hitting off tees and making sure everything is intact so we're ready to go when we finally get outdoors."

Ferris is scheduled to begin its season earlier than usual as it heads south for the Alabama-Huntsville Charger Chillout. The tournament is scheduled for Feb. 19-21 in Decatur, Ala. and is hosted by the University of North Alabama (one of the premier Division II programs in the nation). The Bulldogs are scheduled to face tough competition with games against North Alabama and regional rival Indianapolis (to name two).

Expect some fired-up Bulldogs the minute they can play outdoors.

"It will be awesome to get outside, finally," said Stevenson, who ranks 18th among FSU's career pitching leaders in strikeouts (104), 20th in appearances (35) and 21st in wins (15). "It takes a toll on you when you're inside because of this weather. But, we're really excited to go to Alabama and get a few games under our belt and see what we still need to work on and see a glimpse of what we can be this season."

The fall was a perfect opportunity for the veteran Bulldogs to get to know the new teammates a little better. While Ferris does have its share of experience returning, led by its senior class (Stevenson, Amanda Harrington, Rhea Flores and Rachel Wade) it also has a good-sized group of freshmen (Liz Hamming, Lainee Clay, Morgan Kramerich and Dana Bowler).

"Our underclassmen have come a long way since the fall," Stevenson said. "They've stepped into their roles and things are looking good."

Flores progresses for Bulldogs

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Beginning her college softball career at Ferris State University, last season as a freshman, proved a yearlong learning experience of what it takes to compete at the Division II level.

That learning experience was and continues to be an ongoing process for Rhea Flores who has had a chance to see up close and personal what it takes to succeed as a college softball student-athlete. In the end, it mostly comes down to a formula of hard work and fundamentals. A solid base of fundamentals generally is a portion of a hungry student-athlete’s prescription for success – in softball, or for that matter, any other sport. Flores, who is a sophomore on Ferris’ roster, certainly is hopeful her off-season dedication continues to pay dividends. The hard-throwing Flores’ approach to softball competition, this spring, has been to stay positive and work hard to capitalize on openings that present themselves on the diamond.

After playing sparingly, last spring as a rookie, Flores has worked her way into Ferris’ lineup a little more regularly. That mostly has been due to her rediscovered proficiency swinging the bat. Flores entered this week batting .371 with 13 hits in 35 at bats for the Bulldogs. As part of those numbers, she has stroked three doubles, two home runs and driven in six runs as a solid stick in Ferris’ suddenly-potent offensive batting lineup.

“Really, I’ve just been trying to keep everything kind of simple and basic,” said Flores, whose Bulldogs entered the week’s competition 23-12 overall and in second place in the GLIAC at 13-3. “I just keep my eyes on the ball, make sure I swing (with good mechanics) and just try to put the ball in play as much as I can. I didn’t get a chance to play as much, last year, and I knew this year I was going to have my chances and the thing I really wanted to do was make sure I took advantage of my chances as much as I could.”

The 5-foot-8 Flores, a Dearborn Heights native who prepped at Southgate Anderson High School, showed signs of the hitting potential she now is beginning to realize, even as a freshman, as she batted .318 with seven hits and a home run, in just 22 at bats, for a Bulldog team that finished 31-17 and earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament. Even with her success hitting the ball, however, Flores was brought to Ferris for her true specialty: pitching. Making the adjustment from high school softball to the college level is not always an easy one as so many pitchers quickly discover. Flores, who throws a drop, changeup and fastball, is making a steady progress she hopes will continue to pay dividends.

“It’s a tough adjustment to make and I’ve put in a lot of work changing from 40 feet to 43,” said Flores, who was saluted by head coach Keri Becker for her improved control and command of pitches entering her sophomore season – in addition to her hitting improvements. “I spent a lot of time in the summer, between my freshman and sophomore years, working on a lot of little things … my mechanics to try and strengthen that up to make sure I’m making progress from my first year to my second year. I just want to keep getting better and I want to keep improving.”

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 11: Ferris Seeks To Get Back Its Killer Instinct

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Ferris State is hopeful its killer instinct is back.

After returning from Florida one game below .500, at 7-8, the Bulldogs could hardly wait to get back on the softball diamond. After having a tournament canceled and a home game canceled – both do to poor weather conditions – Ferris looked toward this past weekend to get started with a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheaders against Gannon and Mercyhurst.

As important as it was for the Bulldogs to get wins, it also was critical to reestablish their killer instinct. Several times, while in Florida, Ferris struggled to finish some games it felt it should have won. That was not the case this past weekend – in chilly weather conditions in Big Rapids. After giving up the first two runs to Gannon, in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Bulldogs took control. Ferris was dominant through the next three-plus games to beat the Lady Knights 4-2 and 5-0, on Saturday, and the Lakers 5-0 and 10-0, on Sunday.

The performances had a lot of people in crimson and gold smiling.

“The offensive machine is up and running right now … we had some good and key hits in these games and we’re starting to string together a lot of those hits we need to get runs up on the scoreboard,” said Ferris head coach Keri Becker, whose squad is now 11-8 on the season and 4-0 in the GLIAC. “We wanted to get it started and we did that, but we were also able to keep it going and that was one of the best things to see about our offense.”

In the first game, Ferris struck early with three runs right off the bat and added two more for insurance – one apiece in the third and fifth innings. Senior Katie Kraai, batting cleanup, had two hits in two trips to the plate with a home run, three runs driven in and one run scored. Sophomore Amanda Harrington was 2-for-4 with two runs scored as Ferris tallied five runs on six hits.

Junior pitcher Sarah Mueller proved superb with seven innings pitched, four runs allowed and three strikeouts for her fifth win of the young season against three losses.

In game two, the Bulldogs turned the killer instinct up a little more right off the bat with all 10 of their runs scored in the top of the first inning. Mueller had two hits in two trips with two runs scored and three runs driven in. Junior Krystle Bailey had two hits (with two RBI) while freshman Lynsay Weaver had a pair of hits with a pair of runs driven in. Juniors Amanda Jager and Holly Bruntjens, along with Harrington, each had one hit with a run driven.

In the circle, Bruntjens and sophomores Rhea Flores and Kayle Stevenson combined on a one-hitter effort with nine strikeouts. Bruntjens, who pitched only the first inning, earned the win to improve to 6-3 on the season. All of the pitchers, including Mueller, toughened up when they needed to over the weekend in front of a solid defense.

Ferris’ wins were complete team efforts – just what the doctor ordered for the Bulldogs who next are scheduled to see some tougher competition next weekend on the road at Northwood, in Midland, and at Saginaw Valley State, in University Center.