CUMBERLAND, Md. – The Frostburg State baseball team used strong pitching to help it sweep its twin bill against Southern Virginia on Thursday. Frostburg took game one, 4-0, and game two, 7-3.
Box Scores
Game 1
Game 2
The first game was a low-scoring affair, but it was the Bobcats (15-4) who were able to overcome the Knights (4-12) behind a dominating pitching performance from senior Austing Poretz. Poretz (3-1) picked up the victory after pitching a seven-inning complete game, and surrendering just four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. SVU never threatened Poretz, as no Knight runner advanced past second base in the entire game.
FSU got all the offense it would need in the third when it struck for two. Senior Dylan Shupe got the Bobcats on the board with a sacrifice fly to fight field that brought home junior Zach Weiss, who had reached with one out on a single. Southern Virginia then provided a little bit of help, as junior Ricky Castro scored the second run of the inning as fellow junior Kam Stewart reached on a fielding error by the second baseman.
Frostburg tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth to bring its final total to four. The big blow of game one came when Stewart led off the sixth with a no-doubt home run over the left field fence.
For Southern Virginia, starting pitcher Chris Madison fell to 0-3 despite pitching the six-inning complete game. Madison was effective as he allowed six hits, four runs (two earned), and picked up five strikeouts.
Game two provided a little more offense for the Bobcats, who picked up 13 hits in the second game. However, they did fall behind SVU 1-0 in the second as a throwing error allowed the Knights to score an unearned run. The lead was short-lived as Frostburg exploded for six runs in the bottom half of inning two.
In the inning, the Bobcats started off with six-consecutive hits, including two doubles, a triple, and a home run. Junior Ricky Brady led off with a double to right field and was driven home by senior Brandon Remalia, who lined a triple to right-center. Remalia was then knocked in by a single from Weiss. Junior Nick McElfish provided the big hit of the inning when he launched a two-run homer to left-center field. Senior Kevin Kean picked up a sacrifice fly to drive in the fifth run and Stewart drove in the sixth with a single through the left side.
That six-run inning was enough to power FSU to victory, as they would pick up a single run in the sixth while SVU had two runs cross the plate in the fifth.
Freshman Jake Stephens (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win for the Bobcats behind a strong outing. Stephens pitched 4.2 innings and allowed just four hits, three runs (one earned), and recorded five strikeouts. Junior Rob Warwick and sophomore Logan Hunt came on in relief of Stephens and combined to pitch the final 2.1 innings while allowing no runs.
Offensively on the day the Bobcats were led by Weiss who went 5-for-7 with two doubles, three runs, and one RBI. Castro finished the day going 3-for-7 with a double, two runs, and an RBI. Stewart went 2-for-6 with the home run, two RBIs, and one run, while Brady went 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run. McElfish started game two, and went 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs, and one walk.
Frostburg is scheduled to return to action on Saturday when it hosts Christopher Newport for a doubleheader beginning at noon.
