BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport softball team picked up its fourth GLIAC sweep of the season on Tuesday as it defeated Ferris State with scores of 5-4 in nine innings for game one and 4-1 in the nightcap. At 19-17 overall (15-9 GLIAC), the Panthers moved two games above the .500 mark overall for the first time this season and remained in a tie for second in the league standings with Northwood, Friday's opponent.

In Davenport's first nine-inning game since 2018, Ellie Muilenburg (8-7) was in the circle for all nine and did so with 181 pitches, 109 of which were strikes. Muilenburg gave up four runs, all earned, on eight hits with five walks and 13 strikeouts. The junior right-hander has now recorded 10 or more strikeouts in three-straight games, six times this season and ranks second in the GLIAC with 123 on the season. Muilenburg has racked up those 123 strikeouts in 17 games after entering this season with 160 punchouts in 51 career appearances.

Offensively, Davenport scored one run in the first and three more in the second to go up 4-0 before Ferris State could score a run of its own. Lindsay Goodman hit a solo shot in the first before Muilenburg, Alexis Koza and Goodman each brought in a run the next inning. The Bulldogs got one back in the bottom of the second to make it 4-1, which is where the score held until the home half of the seventh. In that half inning, the home team put up a three spot to make it 4-4 and send the game to extras. Two innings later, Addison Binney broke the 4-4 tie with a solo blast, her second of the season and first since March 5.

In the nightcap, Emma Miller (9-6) went the distance for the ninth time in her 19th outing of the season and entered this season with three complete games in just as many appearances for her career. Miller surrendered just one earned run on five hits without a single walk and four strikeouts. That effort lowered her season ERA to 2.49, which is good for eighth in the league and is nearly four runs better than her ERA was following her sixth appearance of the season back on March 14 (6.37). Of the 13 pitchers in the league with at least 45 strikeouts, Miller is the only one with fewer than 20 walks.

At the plate, the Panthers scored a pair of runs in both the third and fourth frames. In the third, Koza singled in both Miller and Brooke Cowan. The next inning, Binney scored Mariah Cura with a sacrifice fly to center and Miller followed suit with a fly out to left that scored Kenzie Wilkinson.

Next up on the schedule is the postponed doubleheader with Purdue Northwest rescheduled to Wednesday. Game one against the Pride is scheduled for 1 p.m. central time in Hammond, Indiana.

Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler