May 10, 2007

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - No. 6 seed Ferris State scored four unearned runs in the fifth inning and went on to post a 6-1 victory over No. 3 seed Gannon Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional.

The big blow in the Bulldogs' four-run fifth was a three-run home run by Laura Crower. Katie Kraai's RBI single earlier in the inning had given Ferris State (30-15) a 2-1 lead.

Gannon (37-14), ranked 23rd nationally, took a 1-0 lead in the first. Jaclyn Corroto led off with a double, moved to third on Kristina Damis' sacrifice and scored on a groundout by Casee Piquet.

Ferris State pulled even in the second, scoring the first of five unearned runs off Gannon starter Jenn Kulick (19-7). Kraai led off with a single, advanced to third when the Gannon first baseman threw the ball away on Crower's sacrifice and scored on Holly Bruntjens' sacrifice fly.

The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the sixth on Bruntjens' leadoff homer.

Winning pitcher Sarah Mueller (12-7) allowed just four hits and a walk. Kulick yielded eight hits and did not issue a walk in five-plus innings of work.

Crower was 3-for-3, while Kraai and Mueller each were 2-for-4. Gannon's Steph Christ was 2-for-3 with a double.