WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. – Frostburg State baseball was swept by West Liberty in their doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, losing 8-6 in game one and 17-2 in game two. The losses drop the Bobcats to 8-19 on the year, while the Hilltoppers improve to 15-14.
Frostburg was behind early in game one after Kaden Blomquist launched a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to open the scoring. Frostburg would respond in a big way, plating four runs in the second inning, the first of which came on a single by first-year Justin Jimenez to make it 2-1. Junior Bryce Jackson would double later in the inning, scoring two runs to give the Bobcats a 3-2 advantage. Graduate Ryan Roell would add the final run of the frame on an RBI single to left field to make it 4-2.
Jackson would drive home his third run of the game in the fourth inning, bringing home junior Jack Maruskin with the fifth Bobcat run. Sophomore Jack Lawrence would increase the lead in the fifth, as his RBI single scored senior Mitch Fyffe to give Frostburg a 6-2 lead.
West Liberty would fight back, however, cutting the deficit in half in the fifth. Brian Campbell's home run in the bottom of the fifth preceded a Connor Ferguson RBI single to make it a 6-4 game. The Hilltoppers were then able to bring four runs across in the bottom of the sixth against Frostburg closer Nate Vermillion. Colton Coss got it started with an RBI double to make it a one-run game. After a sacrifice bunt moved Coss to third, Ty Helmke would bring him home on an RBI single to tie the game. Campbell followed with a two-run homer, his second of the game, to put the Hilltoppers ahead for good by a score of 8-6.
The late-waking bats of game one for West Liberty translated to early production in game two, and the Hilltoppers were able to sustain it for the entire game. Frostburg found themselves down 6-0 after two innings as West Liberty scored three times in both the first and second innings.
First-year James Stefanowicz was able to quiet the bats of West Liberty in the third inning, retiring the side in order. This would be the only inning in game two in which West Liberty would not score.
The Hilltoppers plated four more runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to extend the lead to 13-0 after five innings.
First-year Stafford Allison got the Bobcats on the board in the sixth, as he hit his first collegiate home run to make it a 13-1 game. After four more runs came home for West Liberty in the bottom of the sixth, Frostburg would scratch one more across in the seventh on a wild pitch to make it 17-2.
The Bobcats will square off twice more at West Liberty on Monday afternoon, with a doubleheader slated to start at 1 p.m. For more information, visit frostburgsports.com.
