SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio - The Frostburg State Softball team used some clutch pitching and timely hits to secure a doubleheader sweep on the road against Notre Dame (Ohio), winning by margins of 4-3 and 4-1. 
 
The Bobcats sent sophomore Sydney Theobald to the circle to start the game, as the Falcons made her work in the first inning. After two quick outs, NDC loaded the bases, but Theobald got out of the jam with a clutch strikeout to keep things scoreless. 
 
 In the top of the second, junior Brianna Powell led off with a single to left and eventually made her way to third after a stolen base and a passed ball. Another passed ball allowed her to score and put the first run on the board, giving FSU the 1-0 lead. 
 
Frostburg added to the lead in the third, with sophomore Sierra Sanderson taking advantage of an error to get to second, then moved to third on a sac bunt from freshman Laura Gilford, and was eventually brought home on an RBI groundout by freshman Adriana Wimmer.
 
The Falcons were able to respond off of a Bobcat error in the bottom of the second, adding two runs of their own to tie things at 2-2. Powell smashed a home run to center field to regain the lead in the fourth, but once again NDC evened things up, scoring a run in the bottom of the inning to square the score at 3-3.
 
Both teams were able to put runners on base in almost every inning, but neither side was able to drive home a run, taking things into extra innings.
 
In the eighth, freshman Jayla Hill led off with a single and advanced to second on an error, as Powell came up with another clutch hit, this one a ground-rule double to score Hill and give FSU the lead at 4-3. 
 
NDC made a strong push for a comeback win, putting runners at second and third with no one out, but Theobald wouldn't give up anything easy. She began by fielding a grounder right to her that kept the runners home, then worked a strikeout and a game-ending groundout to earn her fifth win of the year. 
 
Powell led the way on offense, going 3-4 at the plate with a pair of RBI, while Theobald went the full eight innings, allowing just one earned run (two unearned) and striking out a season-high seven batters. 
 
Frostburg started game two on the front foot, using some small ball to take the lead in the second inning. Freshman Jamie Roberts began with a leadoff double, then was replaced by sophomore pinch-runner Brianna Munday. Sophomore Katie Ernst moved Munday to third on a sac bunt, then senior Kennadie Batchelor hit a bloop single to right, scoring Munday and giving FSU a 1-0 lead. 
 
The Falcons were able to answer in the bottom of the second with a pair of singles and a walk, but that would be all the offense they got against freshman Katie Chapple on the mound. 
 
FSU re-took a lead they would not relinquish in the top of the third, beginning with a one-out walk to Wimmer, who then legged out a grounder from Hill to put runners at first and second. Powell slapped a single to left to load the bases, then Roberts grounded into a fielder's choice, with Wimmer being thrown out at home to keep the bases loaded with two outs. Ernst came up with the chance to blow the game open, which she took with a drive to right field that went up against the wall, clearing the bases with a stand-up double for a 4-1 Bobcat lead. 
 
The Frostburg offense was only able to manage one baserunner the rest of the game, but it was one more than the Falcons were able to manage, as Chapple was superb in the circle. She went a perfect final five innings, not allowing a hit or walking a batter, with the defense coming up clutch as well, to earn her sixth win of the year. Her final statline was seven innings pitched, two hits, two walks, and four strikeouts, with just one earned run allowed.
 
The sweep moves the Bobcats to 12-7 on the year, while NDC falls to 9-15. Frostburg is back in action on Saturday, April 2 for their home opener against division foe West Liberty, with the doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. For information and updates stay tuned at frostburgsports.com.