INDIANA, PA. – The Frostburg State baseball team combined for 30 runs in its two games on Saturday, both of which turned out to be victories for the Bobcats. FSU won game one 10-8, and wrapped up the day with a 20-8 triumph over the Crimson Hawks.
In game one, the Bobcats put up a run in each of the first two innings. An RBI single from junior Bryce Jackson opened the scoring in the first, before a double in the second inning from junior Jack Maruskin made it 2-1. Frostburg would open it up more in the third, as a three-run double from senior Jared Mouton inflated the lead to 5-1. Senior Bret Fogle would follow with another RBI base hit to give the Bobcats a 6-1 advantage through three innings.
The Bobcats would extend the lead in the fourth inning. After Jackson singled to start the inning, senior Ryan Roell brought him home with an RBI double that made the Bobcats' lead 7-1. Roell would eventually come in to score on a throwing error by the IUP catcher to bring the Bobcats' lead to 8-1.
Two more Bobcat runs would come across in the top of the seventh, both on RBI's from Roell and Jackson to make it a 10-1 game. However, IUP would not go away quietly. After a walk and a fly out to begin the bottom of the seventh, nine straight Crimson Hawks reached base as they rallied back to cut the score down to 10-8. First-year Nate Vermillion came on to try and close out the game, and initially walked in the run that made it a two run game. However, he would end up forcing a grounder to shortstop to start a game-ending double play to give the Bobcats the win.
The Bobcats would once again get things started quickly in game two, as Roell singed home a run in the top of the first to make it 1-0. After the Bobcats were retired in order in the second,
they would put up four in the third inning on RBI hits from Maruskin, Roell, and senior Mitch Fyffe to make it 5-1 FSU. Four more runs crossed the plate in the fourth inning on a double by Maruskin, a two-run triple by Roell, and an RBI single by senior Andrew Smith to make the score 9-1.
The Bobcats would break it open even more in the fifth inning. Fogle plated two runs on a double, and two batters later Jackson launched his first home run of the year to make it 14-1. Roell then stepped up and collected his second triple of the game, and he would be brought to the plate after an error by the IUP second baseman Colin Williams. Sophomore Hayden McLaughlin capped off the scoring in the inning with a two-run single to make the score 17-2.
The Bobcats would hit the 20-run plateau in the sixth inning on a three-run home run by Smith to make it a 20-2 game. The 20 runs in the win are the most runs the Bobcats have scored in a game since they scored 26 runs in a win over Wesley on April 6, 2018.
Roell went 5-for-9 over the two games of the doubleheader with five RBI and five runs scored. Smith starred in game two for Frostburg, going 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBI.
The Bobcats got great pitching in each game as well. Junior Josh Colliflower got the start in game one for FSU, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing just one run on two hits. Senior Franco Velasquez pitched the first four innings in game two, allowing five hits and striking out six while picking up the win. First-year Ryan Adams finished the game by pitching the final three innings, striking out two and giving up only one run.
The Bobcats are back in action Sunday afternoon when they travel to face Slippery Rock. First pitch will be at 1:00 p.m.
