EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The Truman softball team began play in the Midwest Region Crossover on Saturday against the likes of Ferris State and Ohio Dominican in a rematch from earlier this season. The Bulldogs made quick work of the other Bulldogs in game one after five innings, 10-1, but fell to the Panthers in the nightcap, 4-1.

With the split, Truman stays at the .500 mark with a record of 6-6 while Ferris State heads into Sunday sitting at 0-4 and Ohio Dominican snapped a three-game skid to improve to 4-6 on the young 2017 campaign.

In the first game, Ferris State was on the board with an RBI double to right field in the top of the first inning, but in no way was that a sign of things to come. In the home half of that frame, after Riley Cook reached on an error by the first baseman, Ashley Murphy walked and Jamie Fowle singled to left, Alyssa Rivera also reached on an error, this time by the right fielder. During that last play, both Cook and Murphy scored, unearned, and the Bulldogs were ahead 2-1. Later in the first, Rivera stole second and forced an error by the shortstop that allowed Fowle to cross the plate and Truman was up by two, 3-1.

Two innings later, Rivera crushed a three-run home run to left center, the first blast of her career, to put the Purple and White up 6-1. Truman blew the thing wide open in the fourth when Michaela Mooney doubled in Valerie Schmidt and Murphy crushed a three-run bomb to left, her second of the season and seventh of her career. At that point, Truman had a nine-run cushion and set down Ferris State in order in the top of the fifth to win by way of the run rule.

In the circle, Lauren Dale (4-1) gave up one earned run or fewer for the fourth time in her last five outings. Saturday, she gave up just that one earned on three hits with one walk and one strikeout to lower her season ERA to 3.59.

In the nightcap, Murphy gave Truman a 1-0 advantage with a single to center that scored Christa Reisinger, but that would be all the scoring for the Bulldogs. Ohio Dominican scored all four of its runs in the sixth to beat Truman by three despite having only three hits to the Bulldogs' five.

Nicolette Simpson (2-3) suffered the tough-luck loss as all four of the runs she gave up were unearned due to a pair of Truman errors. Simpson gave up just three hits while walking two and striking out four. In relief, Alyssa Hajduk went the final inning and punched out one batter.

Next up, the Bulldogs will stay in Evansville on Sunday to take on Saginaw Valley State (10 a.m.) for a second time this season followed by Northwood (12 p.m.).

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