The Bulldogs struggled on the road this weekend as they opened their 2020 season with a couple of double headers. Saturday Feb. 15 The University of Illinois Springfield took down the Bulldogs in the first game with a score of 7-6. The next game was not as competitive as the Bulldogs took a hard loss 8-2.
The first game the Bulldogs almost pulled it out as they built a 6-4 lead in the fifth inning. However, in the bottom of the seventh inning Illinois Springfield pulled away and had a big three run inning to take the win.
Junior short stop Kodi Ramirez, junior catcher Ali Magiera, and sophomore utility Jessica Tucci had two hits each. Magiera led the team with three RBI’s and had a double and a triple in her Ferris State Debut. Tucci had two RBI’s as well and had a double and a triple and Ramirez notched two doubles.
Senior Abby Highway started out on the mound and never came out. She let up seven runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
The backside of the double header was a little more lopsided. The Bulldogs had a strong start having a 2-0 lead up until the bottom of the third inning when Illinois Springfield put three runs on the board. Then again, in the fourth inning added four more runs and then finished it off with one more run in the sixth.
Magiera once again tailed in a couple of hits along with junior outfielder Paige Kortz. Kaitlyn Nugent gets credit for the only RBI in the game for the Bulldogs.
Nugent got the nod on the mound pitching four and one third innings. She gave up seven runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Senior Connor Proctor took over from their pitching one and two thirds innings and allowed three hits with one run and two strikeouts.
The highlight of the weekend was in the first game of the back to back double header on Sunday afternoon where the Bulldogs secured their first win of the 2020 season.
The Bulldogs had consisted scoring throughout the game scoring a single run in the fourth, seventh and ninth inning. They exploded in the fifth with a three-run inning.
Tucci and Kortz had another team high with two hits. Also connecting at bat was Nugent, Magiera, junior infielder Madison McLeod, and sophomore first basemen Kaitlyn Orme.
Seniors Abby Highway and Connor Proctor got the call on the mound and allowed eight hits and one homerun, but it was not enough to beat the Bulldogs.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs suffered one more loss on the weekend finishing their first game action of the season at 1-3. Just like the second game of the first double header the Bulldogs let this one get away losing 11-2.
Seems like it was the pattern of the weekend against this team. Competing and keeping it close in the first games, however, in the second games Illinois Springfield was too much to handle.
Illinois Springfield had nine different players tally hits combining for 13 as a team. They scored in every inning and had a big fourth and fifth inning where nine of those runs came from.
The Bulldogs only had five different players with hits and sophomore right fielder Kylie Winkles led the way with three hits and an RBI. Ramirez chipped in with two hits and an RBI as well.
Three different pitchers found the mound on late Sunday afternoon. Nugent pitched two innings, Proctor with one inning, and Orme with one inning as well. The trio let up 13 hits and 11 runs.
The Bulldogs with look to bounce back this weekend at the Midwest Regional Crossover where they will play three double headers in three days.