CALEDONIA, Mich. – Davenport is hitting their stride at one of the best times of the season, at the heart of their conference schedule. The Panthers increased their win streak to eight, all GLIAC games, after beating Ferris State in a pair of games. These were the final two home games for DU this season and they took advantage. A weather delay in game two played out to favor the Panthers, as they went into the weather delay trailing 4-1 and ended up winning the game 5-4.
 
Game 1-Wednesday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m.
Final Score: Davenport University-7 | Ferris State-2
Location: Caledonia, Mich.
Records: DU (24-16, 16-7) | FSU (16-25, 7-14)


 
Inside The Box
Lauren French (0-1, R, 2 BB, SB, HBP)
Abby Merice (3-3, RBI, 2B, HBP)
Hayley Kreiger (2-2, 3 R, BB)
Alexis Koza (1-1, 3 RBI, 2B, 2 SF)
Mallory Teunissen 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
Emma Miller (W, 3-2) 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 0 SO
 
Davenport wasted no time putting distance between Ferris State in the first inning. The Panthers scored five runs in the bottom of the first to take a 5-0 lead. The scoring started with a single to left center by Merice that scored Palazzolo. Then, Rachel Griffin reached on a fielder's choice and French scored on the play. Another Panther reached on a fielding error and Griffin came around to score. Later in the inning, Mariah Cura scored off a sac fly by Koza and Kreiger scored off a single by Jorden Urban. Ferris State scored a single run in the second and fourth, but the combo of Teunissen and Miller only allowed those two runs and the Panthers held onto their five-run lead for the win.
 
Game 2-Wednesday, April 17 at 5:30 p.m.
Final Score: Davenport University-5 | Ferris State-4
Location: Caledonia, Mich.
Records: DU (25-16, 17-7) | FSU (16-26, 7-15)
 
Inside The Box
Merice (2-3, 3 R, BB, 2B)
Griffin (2-4)
Kreiger (3-4, 2 RBI, 2B)
Kennedy Crawford (1-3, 2 RBI)
Taylor Simon 5.1 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO
Ellie Muilenburg 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO
Teunissen (W, 14-5) 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
 
Ferris State had all the momentum in the first, second, third, and top of the fourth inning. Heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, the Panthers trailed 4-0. Freshman Kreiger helped put DU on the board in the fourth. She cranked a double to left center and Merice scored to cut the deficit to three runs. In the top of the sixth, a weather delay of 30 minutes changed the flow of the game. Davenport took advantage and drove in three runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game. Two of the runs were scored off a single by Crawford up the middle with the bases loaded, Madison Jewell and Merice scored on the play. Muilenburg and Teunissen combined to not allow anything in the top of the seventh and Davenport went into the bottom of the seventh with the game tied 4-4. With one out, Merice doubled to left center, then Griffin singled up the middle and Merice advanced to third. Cura was intentionally walked and that brought up the freshman designated player Kreiger. With one out, the bases loaded, in the bottom of the seventh, and a tied game, Kreiger hit a line drive to right center and Merice scored with ease. The walk-off single caps off a eight-game win streak to end the Panther home schedule.




 
Up Next
Davenport takes a day before they head to Wisconsin to face Parkside for a doubleheader on Friday.
 
Story by: Devin Steiner
 
Picture credit: Walter Cronk