FROSTBURG, Md. – Home runs made all the difference for the Frostburg State baseball team as it split a Capital Atheltic Conference doubleheader with No. 21 Salisbury, Sunday afternoon. The Bobcats dropped the first game, 1-0, but rebounded and took the second, 5-3, behind a pair of home runs.

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

The Bobcats improved to 9-7 with the split and 5-4 in the CAC while the Sea Gulls sit at 10-7 overall and 8-4 in the league.

Salisbury took the lead in the top of the fifth after two costly Bobcat errors that allowed Nick Gentry to score and give the Sea Gulls a 1-0 lead.

Frostburg State's offense was kept under control for most of the second game by Salisbury's Nathan Young until the fifth inning when it recorded its first run and hit of the game. Junior John Barrett (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison (Hagerstown)) took the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to tie the game at one.

The Sea Gulls weren't finished though, and put two more runs on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth to take the lead back, 3-1. Salisbury hit back-to-back RBI singles before senior Britton Quayle (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) got Joey Jones to ground out to third to end the inning stranding two runners.

The Bobcats proved that their offense wasn't finished yet, either, answering with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. With one out, senior Scott Wilson (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) doubled down the left field line. Freshman Matt Donaldson (Garrett, Pa./Meyersdale) walked to put the potential tying run on and junior Garrett Price (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty (Emory & Henry)) got hit by the first pitch he saw to load the bases. After taking the first pitch for a strike, senior Matt Greene (Westminster, Md./South Carroll) found a pitch he liked and gave it a ride over the right field wall to clear the bases and put the Bobcats on top 5-3. The grand slam ended the day for Young, and Drew Baldwin came out in relief to get the final two outs of the inning. But the damage had been done.

Senior Matt Ridenour (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) moved from the designated hitter position to the mound in relief of Quayle in the top of the seventh. Ridenour needed just 12 pitches to get the Sea Gulls out in order and earn his first save of the season for the Bobcats.

Quayle finished the day with three runs, two earned, over six innings and five hits. The right-hander walked only two and fanned eight Sea Gulls. Quayle improved to 2-2 on the season. Nathan Young took the loss for Salisbury going 5.1 innings, striking out only two while giving up five runs on three hits.

The Bobcats dropped the first game of the twinbill 1-0 despite a strong pitching effort from senior Josh Davis (Freeland, Md./Hereford (Webber International)). The Sea Gulls scored the only run of the game in the top of the third after Gentry doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on a error. Jones hit a sac fly to center and score Gentry. The Bobcats could not seem to get the offense going and the score stayed at 1-0 in favor of the Sea Gulls.

Davis finished his afternoon with three strikeouts and one run from six hits over the full seven innings of work. Dustin Herbert got the win for Salisbury pitching seven innings of scoreless baseball, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out seven.

At the plate, Greene led the Bobcats going 3-for-6 with four RBIs and one run scored. Two of Greene's hits were for extra bases, the home run in the second game and a triple in the first.

Frostburg State returns to the field when it travels to Washington D.C. for a single nine-inning non-conference game against Gallaudet at 3:00 p.m on March 22.