2005 SOFTBALL NEWS

March 21: Diamond Dawgs Notebag

Ferris State registered 15 extra-base hits in its four games at the Lewis Tournament. The Bulldogs smacked eight home runs, six doubles and one triple to go with 28 RBIs and a .328 team batting average (39-119) in the four-game period. Junior second baseman Lindsay Riskovitch (Reese) and junior outfielder Emily McLean (Rogers City) led the way with two home runs apiece and six RBI's each.

Lindsay Riskovitch extended her present hitting string to six straight with a two-for-five hit effort at Lewis Sunday (March 20). Riskovitch clubbed two homers, including a ninth-inning three-run blast, in the contest while also scoring twice and had four RBI's. She hit for a .455 average in the four-game Lewis Tourney with five base hits in 11 at bats. Riskovitch's two home runs in 11 games this campaign already surpasses her one total in 46 contests last season.

Sophomore catcher-designated player Allison McKibbin (Hemlock) turned in her career best offensive effort at Lewis in Sunday's contest with a four-for-five hitting performance, which included a RBI double. McKibbin concluded the tournament with a team-high tying six RBI's while hitting for a .462 average (6-13).

Junior second baseman Kristin Hollister (Newport/Airport/Macomb CC) notched a base hit in all three of her contests at the Lewis Tourney. She totaled three hits in four at bats, which included two pinch-hit singles and a solo home run in Saturday's (March 19) 11-1 five-inning decision over St. Francis (Ill.).

Ferris State's 16 base hits at Lewis Sunday (March 20) not only represents a team season high, but is the most single-game hits since April 22, 2003 when the Bulldogs produced 18 hits in a 14-1 five-inning decision over Lake Superior State.

Freshman second baseman Heather Newton (Pierson/Tri-County) registered her first collegiate home run with a pinch-hit two-run roundtripper in the sixth inning as Ferris State went on to post an 8-6 nine-inning victory over host Lewis in Sunday's (March 20) action at the Lewis Tournament.

The Bulldogs are 3-0 this season when leading after six innings and are 1-5 when trailing after six frames.

Senior catcher-designated player Melissa Worsley (Midland) has currently hit safely in her last eight outings with three two-hit game performances. Worsley, who's batting .367 during the streak with 11 base hits in 30 at bats, has posted a .365 average at the plate (19-52) in 14 contests this campaign. A season ago following the Bulldogs' initial 14 outings, she was hitting .194 (7-36) in 12 encounters.

Melissa Worsley is one base hit away from attaining her 100th career hit and trails Jody Johnson's (1987-90) 19th-place 108 career hit total by nine on Ferris' all-time hits leaders list. She's only six hits shy of matching last season's 25-hit total in 36 outings. Worsley is presently tied for 13th place among the school's career doubles leaders with 21 total, equaling Becky VanderBee's (1994-97) and Marianne Gepfrey's (1989-92) career two-base output.