WILSON, N.C. – The Frostburg State softball team kicked off it season by traveling South and picking up wins against Barton and Virginia Union by scores of 5-4 and 15-0, respectively.
In game one against the Bulldogs, the Bobcats got their first hit of the year from junior Sierra Sanderson, who then moved around the diamond on a couple of passed balls before stealing home to put the Bobcats up 1-0.
Barton responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning, then went on to shut down the FSU offense for four innings, adding a run themselves in both the third and fifth to take a 4-1 lead.
With chances to get back in the game running low, Frostburg got a run back early in the sixth with senior Bri Powell ripped a leadoff double to center and then came around to score on a double from sophomore Jamie Roberts to get the game to 4-2.
Sophomore Laura Gilford kickstarted the comeback attempt with a lead-off single and then Powell would get aboard after being hit by a pitch with one out. Roberts stepped up and got all the way around to third after an error in left field, allowing both Powell and Gilford to score, tying up the game at 4-4. Junior Brianna Munday would come up next as a pinch-hitter and singled up the middle to bring Roberts home and give Frostburg a shock 5-4 lead.
Junior starter Sydney Theobald was entrusted to finish the complete game in the circle, but Bulldogs would load the basses with just one out in the inning looking to avenge their lost lead with a walk-off win. Theobald would come up trumps, getting a strikeout looking and working a groundout to sophomore third baseman Cristina Sommerkamp to complete the 5-4 comeback win.
Theobald picked up her complete-game win for her first of the year, as FSU stole five bases in the game, continuing their trend of speed on the basepaths.
In game two, Frostburg faced off against Virginia Union, with sophomore Allyssa taking the circle and throwing an efficient first inning, allowing just one single. FSU wasted no time racing out to a lead, as freshman Gracie Nelson picked up her first collegiate hit at the lead-off spot, being brought in on a Powell two-run bomb. Albright pitched a clean second to get the bats back in the hands of the Bobcats, where they certainly were ready to hit.
Frostburg loaded the bases with the first three batters, bringing up junior Ellie Buckheit to get things started with a two-RBI single, followed by a sac fly from Nelson to go ahead 5-0. Roberts legged out an infield single to drive in a run, then freshman Ashlynn Routzahn announced herself with a three-run homer as part of the scoring spree. Buckheit would pick up another hit and two more RBI, while Nelson polished off the 12-run inning with an RBI triple and scoring on a Sanderson single.
Albright faced little trouble in her next two innings of work, giving up just two hits while striking out three. FSU tacked on one final run in the bottom of the fourth, as freshman Arden Miller reached home on a wild pitch, then Roberts came on to finish the game in mercy rule fashion 15-0.
It is the most runs that the team has scored since putting up 17 against Principia College in March of 2019. Albright would pick up the win, throwing four innings of shutout ball, as Buckheit led the offensive charge with a career-high four RBI.
With the victories, Frostburg begins the year with a 2-0 record and will return to play both teams again tomorrow, February 19, facing Barton at 10 a.m. and VUU at 12:30 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.
