FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State softball team fell in a Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) doubleheader to Christopher Newport Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Field.
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Frostburg concludes the regular season with a 23-13 overall record while finishing 11-3 in the CAC. The Bobcats have won 20 or more games in eight of the last 12 seasons under head coach Wes Landrum.
Christopher Newport ends the year with a 28-8 record behind a 13-1 mark in conference play. The doubleheader sweep gave the Captains the 2017 CAC regular-season title and the right to host the conference tournament in Newport News, Va. beginning Thursday.
Frostburg will enter the CAC Tournament as the second seed.
Game One
Frostburg fell in game one, 7-5. After being shutout for three innings, the Bobcats scored at least one run in the final four innings of the game, but could not complete the late rally.
The Captains scored a pair of runs in the second inning for a 2-0 lead, but the Bobcats cut that deficit in half when junior Brittney Platt scored senior Hannah Tavik in the fourth with a single to right.
CNU tallied three runs in the top of the fifth to take a 5-1 lead. In the home half of the fifth, junior Sam Gatton smacked a solo home run to left to make it 5-2.
The Captains responded with another run in the sixth inning, but the Bobcats countered back with two of their own in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Ali Caulkins hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored senior Emily Harvey to make it 6-3. Senior Emily Zengel scored Pratt with an RBI-double to right center to make the score 6-4.
Each team tacked on one final run in the seventh inning for the 7-5 final. Gatton hit her second home run of the game in the seventh inning.
Junior Allison Short pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) with two strikeouts. Captains starter Tara Heatwole earned the win as she allowed four earned runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings pitched.
Game Two
Frostburg dropped a highly competitive nightcap by a final score of 4-0.
The Captains scored the game-winning run in the first inning on a fly ball that was bobbled by the Bobcats left fielder. Leah Andrews scored from first and gave CNU a 1-0 lead.
The Captains would tack on another run in the fifth inning and two in the seventh inning for the 4-0 victory.
The Bobcats were unable to break through offensively, leaving three runners on base in the fourth inning, two in the fifth and one in the sixth.
CNU starter Aubrey Bates (10-2) worked her way out of trouble on multiple occasions to collect the complete-game shutout. She allowed five hits over her seven innings pitched with four strikeouts.
Tavik also tossed a complete game, allowing four runs (three earned) with four punchouts.
Up Next
Frostburg returns to action in the 2017 CAC Softball Tournament this Thursday, April 20 against third-seeded Salisbury at noon from Captains Park in Newport News.
For up-to-date game information, including live stats and video streaming, visit frostburgsports.com.
