Sports Shorts

Rough start for Ferris women’s softball
The Bulldogs’ softball team had a rough opening to their 2015 season this weekend, as they dropped five of their first six contests.
The Bulldogs opened the season competing in the Charger Chillout, which took place in Huntsville, Ala. In the first four contests, the ladies struggled to score runs, plating just three runs in those games while facing Alabama-Huntsville, Union, St. Joseph’s and Southern Indiana.
The Dawgs eventually picked up their play in the final two games of the Chillout, as they suffered a 9-7 loss against Indianapolis and picked up their first win of the 2015 season after a 6-3 victory over Miles on Sunday afternoon.
The women’s softball team is scheduled to play a mind-blowing 56 games this season, with their first scheduled home game coming on March 31 in a double-header against GLIAC foe Saginaw Valley State.

Hockey drops two heartbreakers in WCHA play
The Ferris State hockey team will head back to Big Rapids this weekend after suffering through a pair of 1-goal losses to the No. 8 Bowling Green State Falcons.
Friday night’s contest saw the Dawgs take the lead late in the first period, as sophomore forward Gerald Mayhew scored his seventh goal of the season. Sophomore Kyle Schempp and senior Simon Denis were credited with the assists. The Falcons fought back to score two unanswered goals to walk away with a 2-1 victory.
Saturday night saw much of the same for the Bulldogs, as they jumped out again to a 1-0 lead in the first period after a goal from freshman defenseman Tyler Dorantes. The goal marked the first of his collegiate career as forwards Sean O’Rourke and Zach Szajner assisted him. The Falcons would answer quickly with a goal of their own.
Ferris State then scored again, this time off the stick of Andrew Dorantes, who was assisted by Andrew White. The two goals from the Dorantes brothers would prove to not be enough, as the Falcons netted two goals, less than two minutes apart, late in the final period to again take one from the Dawgs.
The hockey team will have to have a short memory of the road trip, as the two teams will square off again on Feb. 13-14 in Big Rapids. Puck drop is slated for 7:07 p.m. on both nights.

Men’s basketball loses consecutive games at home
The Ferris State men’s basketball team suffered their first consecutive losses in almost three months when they fell to Michigan Tech 68-60, and lost in the closing seconds to Northern Michigan 73-71.
The last time the men lost two in a row was in mid-November, before conference play had even begun. In spite of the loss, senior guard Drew Lehman scored 23 points while junior forward James Chappell grabbed 9 rebounds, but their efforts weren’t enough to overcome Michigan Tech.
The Bulldogs also put up a valiant fight that fell short against Northern Michigan. Junior center Jared Stolicker tied his season-high for points, netting an efficient 21 points by going 7-11 from the field and hitting 7 free throws. Junior guard Jibreel Jackson also contributed 9 points off the bench in the contest.
The Bulldogs will have to face a series of GLIAC opponents on the road before returning to Wink Arena again. The first stop on the road trip will be at Northwood tomorrow at 8 p.m.