SALEM, Va.- Frostburg State softball ended their run in the MEC tournament just shy of reaching the championship game in their first season of conference play. They would start out the day with two straight wins over West Virginia Wesleyan and Notre Dame (Ohio) before falling to West Liberty in what amounted to three straight elimination games, having lost on Saturday in the double elimination format.
 
In the first game of the day, Frostburg matched up against West Virginia Wesleyan, as first-year Sydney Theobald battled Abigail O'Shields in the circle. Both starters began the game well, with neither team able to score in the first two innings.
 
All the scoring in the game would come from the third inning, however, with Wesleyan scoring in the top half of the inning on an RBI single from Grace Smith to take a 1-0 lead.
 
In the bottom half, Frostburg would respond to take the lead. First-year Sierra Sanderson got a leadoff infield single, then was thrown out at third on a bunt attempt from junior Ava Gnibus, as an error from Kennady Cowart allowed Gnibus to reach second on the throw to get Sanderson out. Senior Sam Carver and sophomore Brianna Powell then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, bringing up senior Taylor McCarty. McCarty laced a single to right field to drive in Gnibus and Carver and give Frostburg a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish.
 
Theobald pitched a scoreless top of the fourth before being replaced by sophomore Shawna Leonard for the final three innings. The teams again traded scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth, bringing Wesleyan to the plate in the top of the seventh with their season at stake.
 
Leonard walked Bella Posey before Grace Hightower reached on a bunt to third to put runners at first and second with no one out. Having already struck out 125 batters on the season so far, Leonard tossed three straight K's on nine pitches to strand the runners and give Frostburg the win to keep their first MEC tournament appearance going into the afternoon.
 
Theobald earned her 10^th win of the season, pitching four innings, allowing just an unearned run on four hits while striking out a pair of batters. Leonard picked up her third save of the season throwing three innings, allowing three hits and striking out four.
 
In game two, Frostburg faced Notre Dame (Ohio), after the Falcons staved off elimination in back-to-back games with wins over Concord and Fairmont State.
 
Theobald again got the start in the circle, this time against McKenzie Zigmont. It turned out to be a pitchers' duel for much of the game.
 
Frostburg would get an opportunity in the bottom of the fourth, starting with Carver reaching on an error, followed by a single from Powell. McCarty would ground to short and advance the runners to second and third with two outs. Senior Aliyah Ramey hit a rocket that would have scored both runners, but it was snagged by Lexi Rehm at third base to end the Bobcat threat.
 
In the top of the fifth, it was NDC's turn to threaten. After Theobald worked two quick outs, an error from Powell and a single from Daniele Rivera forced Frostburg to make a pitching change, bringing on senior Emily Talbert. Talbert was able to strike out Alexi Maciejowski to end the inning with the score still 0-0.
 
The Falcons would again threaten in the top of the sixth, as Rehm got a leadoff single and advanced all the way to third on an error from Carver in right field. Powell then made a heads-up play on a grounder from Taylor Olson, throwing Rehm out at home to preserve the tie. After another fielder's choice got Frostburg to two outs in the inning, Talbert issued back-to-back walks to force another pitching change. Once again, it was Leonard that got the call, and on the first pitch, she got Sydnie Jarrett to ground out to McCarty at first to end another threat.
 
Both teams traded scoreless half innings in the bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh, respectively, bringing Frostburg to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with a chance to win. Ramey hit a leadoff single to center and was pitch-run for by first-year Emily Hughes. Junior Kennadie Batchelor would get Hughes to second on a sacrifice bunt before first-year Katie Ernst laced a single to left field to put runners at the corners with just one out for senior Kat Treff. Treff put the ball in play, forcing an error from Katelyn Rheude at second base and driving in Hughes, giving the Bobcats the walk-off win, and forcing a third elimination game of the day against West Liberty.
 
Against the Hilltoppers, Sanderson got the start in the circle against Riley Bennington. WLU would get all the offense they needed in the first inning after RBI singles from Katie Beeman and Annie Paterson made the score 2-0.
 
Theobald would replace Sanderson in the bottom of the third and hold the Hilltoppers to just one hit in her three and two-thirds innings of work. Bennington would hold the Bobcats scoreless in her five innings, allowing just an infield single to Sanderson as Frostburg's only hit against her. Paterson replaced Bennington in the sixth to try and close out the game for the Hilltoppers.
 
Frostburg tried to scratch across some offense in the top of the seventh, as McCarty hit a one-out double and was pinch-run for by first-year Ellie Buckheit. Ramey struck out, leaving Hughes to pinch-hit for Batchelor with Frostburg down to their last out. She singled through the left side to get Buckheit to third and bring up first-year Katie Ernst. In one of the most bizarre plays, Ernst popped up to right, but Madelyn Weidner dropped the ball, allowing Buckheit to score. Ernst attempted to reach second on the play, but was thrown out by Weidner to end the game 2-1.
 
The loss ends Frostburg's season at 25-17, with a 3-2 record in the MEC tournament. West Liberty will play West Virginia State in the MEC Championship game on Sunday, needing two wins to win the conference tournament, while a loss would give the Yellow Jackets the title.