FROSTBURG, Md.- The Frostburg State softball team continued their hot streak in MEC play, completing a season sweep of the Wheeling Cardinals Friday afternoon at Bobcat Field. The Bobcats won game one 4-1 before besting the Cardinals in game two 13-3 in five innings. 
 
In game one, sophomore Shawna Leonard took to the circle for the Bobcats and continued her season-long dominance in MEC play, keeping Wheeling off the board for the first four innings.  
 
The Bobcats would leave runners on first and second in the first inning and strand another in the second, as they weren't able to capitalize at the plate. Junior Ava Gnibus came up to bat in the third and gave FSU the lead with one swing, launching a one-out home run to left-center to put the score at 1-0.  
 
Frostburg would tack on another run in the fourth, as sophomore Brianna Powell led off the inning with a single and stole second. Leonard drew a walk two batters later, as senior Kat Treff came in to pinch run, and first-year Sierra Sanderson moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt, bringing up Gnibus again. She lined a single into center, bringing Powell in from third to make it 2-0 FSU.  
 
Wheeling would score their lone run of game one in the top of the fifth on a double from Autumn Oehlstrom. Frostburg would answer back in the bottom half of the inning, as back-to-back walks from seniors Taylor McCarty and Aliyah Ramey put runners at first and second. First-years Brianna Munday and Ellie Buckheit pinch-ran for McCarty and Ramey, respectively. Junior Kennadie Batchelor would reach on a fielder's choice, as Buckheit was thrown out at second, putting runners at the corners with one out. Powell got an RBI on a groundout to shortstop, then first-year Ryann Darling reached on an error by third baseman Cassi Roman, bringing another run to make the final score 4-1.  
 
Leonard would pitch a scoreless final two frames, as she pitched her fourth straight complete game, striking out eight and allowing just four hits, giving her an 11-2 record on the year. Gnibus went 4-4 with the home run and two RBI, leading the Bobcat offense in game one. 
  
First-year Sydney Theobald took the circle in game two, getting into trouble early on, as Wheeling scored three runs in the top of the first to put the Bobcats in an early deficit. FSU would get one back in the bottom half of the inning, as Treff led off with a single and stole second. Fellow senior Sam Carver would drive her in two batters later on an RBI double to bring the score to 3-1.  
 
Theobald would pitch brilliantly the rest of the way, keeping Wheeling off the board in each remaining inning and allowing the Bobcat bats to get hot.  
 
The action started in the second inning, as Powell launched a solo home run to left field to bring FSU within one at 3-2. Theobald would reach first on an error, followed by back-to-back singles from Sanderson and Treff to load the bases with one out. Gnibus continued her hot day with a two-RBI single to give FSU the lead 4-3. Two batters later, McCarty hit another two-RBI single, scoring Gnibus and Treff and increasing the lead to 6-3.  
 
In the bottom half of the third, Batchelor led off with a single but was thrown out on a fielder's choice as Powell reached, then stole second. Theobald drew a walk, then FSU tried to execute a double steal, as catcher Gina Fogle threw to third, but no one covered the bag, allowing Powell to score. Sanderson would hit a single and Treff was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Gnibus got another single to drive in a run, followed up by a two-RBI single from Carver to put FSU ahead 10-3. McCarty then got the biggest hit of the day, launching a three-run home run to left field to put the score at 13-3, where it would finish in five innings.  
 
Theobald recovered from the rocky start to pitch five innings, allowing just the three runs on six hits, and striking out two. McCarty led the offense in game two with five RBI, going 2-3 at the plate.   
 
The sweep puts Frostburg at 21-8 on the year as they continue to lead the MEC North division, while Wheeling falls to 9-29. The Bobcats return to Bobcat Field Sunday afternoon to take on second-place West Liberty, with a doubleheader set to begin at 12 p.m. For more information head to frostburgsports.com.