FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State softball team opened its home schedule today, splitting a doubleheader against Division II Salem, falling in game one, 9-6 and coming back to from a six-run deficit for a 10-9 game-two victory on Monday afternoon.
 
The Bobcats now stand at 11-9, while Salem moves to 7-19.
 
Senior Olivia Ford went 5-for-8 in the two games, including the game-winning double in the final inning of the second game.
 
Game one
 
The afternoon's first game started with a RBI single off the bat of first-year Amber Keene, scoring Ford and giving the Bobcats an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Tigers responded in the next half inning, after senior Kaleigh Decker plated two runs on a double to right field, taking their first lead of the contest.
 
Frostburg took the lead back in the home half of the second inning, as Ford singled home a run, then later scored, along with first-year Erica Payne on a triple from junior outfielder Claire Hanlon, bringing the score to 4-2, Bobcats.
 
Salem added a run in the third and plated two more in the fifth after Tiger pitcher Christine Bombardiere helped herself out with a two-run homer to right-center field. The lead didn't last long for Salem, as the Bobcats scored two more in the bottom of the fifth on RBI singles from sophomores Aliyah Ramey and Sam Carver to give FSU a 6-5 lead.
 
Another home run hurt the Bobcats in the sixth inning, as Salem sophomore Olivia Davoli pulled a solo shot to left field, tying the game at six apiece. Salem then took the lead in the final frame, scoring three runs. The Bobcats threatened with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, as junior Katelyn Mehrling singled and Carver walked, but Bombardiere got the final out, nailing down the 9 -6 victory for the Tigers.
 
The Bobcats were led offensively by Hanlon, who went 2-for-3 with her triple, two RBIs and a run scored. Ford went 2-for-4 and stole her 14^th stolen base. In the circle, sophomore Emily Moll went the distance, tossing 7.0 innings and allowing nine runs, six earned, on 12 hits, striking out two.
 
Overall, Salem scored six of its nine runs in the final three innings. Bombardiere earned her seventh victory of the season, pitching a complete game and allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits. She struck out eight Bobcat batters.
 
 Game Two

Salem scored the first runs in the opening inning of game two, as junior Rosey Romick singled home a run and her classmate, Sydney McPherson drove in another later on to give the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.
 
Just like in game one, the Bobcats responded right away, scoring two runs of their own in the bottom half of the first frame. Ramey doubled home Ford and later scored on a two-out single off the bat of Mehrling, tying the game at 2-2.
 
Both teams were held off the scoreboard until the fourth inning, when Salem took the lead again after scoring five unearned runs on a couple of two-out errors by the Bobcats. Romick and Bombardiere highlighted the inning for the Tigers, as both laced run-scoring doubles in the frame, giving the Tigers a 7-2 lead.   
 
The Bobcats scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth as Ford scored on a Keene opposite-field double. The following inning, the Tigers added two runs to their lead, taking a 9-3 lead. In the home half of the sixth inning, Frostburg plated three runs, two of which came on a Hanlon single, cutting the Bobcat deficit to three runs.
 
After a quiet top half of the final frame, Keene led off the Bobcat comeback with a double to right-center field. She later scored after sophomore Kat Treff singled her home to make the score 9-7. Two batters later, down to their final out, the Bobcats looked to Erica Payne to continue the rally, and she did, smacking a two-RBI single to tie the game at nine. Payne then stole second to set up Ford's game-winning double that was laced down the left-field line, giving Frostburg the 10-9 victory.
 
The Bobcats scored eight of their 10 runs in the game's last three innings, scoring four in the seventh inning alone. Offensively, Ford went 3-for-4 with her walk-off double and two stolen bases, giving her 16 on the season, good for the Capital Athletic Conference lead. Keene went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a RBI, while Payne went 2-for-4 with her game-tying two-run single.
 
Sophomore pitcher Taylor McCarty tossed a complete game, allowing nine runs, just four earned, on nine hits for her fourth win of the season.
 
The Tigers were led offensively by Romick, who went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and two RBIs.
 
Frostburg returns to action Wednesday, April 3, to open conference play when it hosts CAC opponent Southern Virginia in a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. at Bobcat Field. For more information, or to follow along with the live stats or the live stream, visit frostburgsports.com