FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Baseball team hosted Shippensburg for their first home game of the season, getting the win with a final score of 12-8 on Tuesday afternoon.
Frostburg got on the board early in the first inning, as sophomore Danny Estrada earned a leadoff walk and would be sent around the bases on singles from sophomore Mikey Guy and junior Ethan Kiple. Senior AJ Campbell then doubled to center field to send another run across the plate, as Kiple proceeded to score on a bases loaded walk and Campbell scored on a wild pitch for a 4-0 Bobcat lead after the first.
Both teams went back and forth until the bottom of the fourth inning, as junior Will Grove pitched two perfect innings, not giving up a hit until the top of the third. Senior Hayden McLaughlin drew a walk and junior Lucas Gulczynski was hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the fourth, before sophomore Jerry Cirspino hit a single to load the bases. In the next at-bat, Estrada hit a bases clearing triple to bring FSU's lead to 7-0. Guy kept the offensive momentum going for the Bobcats, hitting double into center field, allowing Estrada to cross the plate. Guy would go on to score off a sacrifice fly from senior Trevor Jones, to bring the score to 9-0 after four innings.
Sophomore Cael Huyer came into pitch in the top of the fifth, leaving two Raiders stranded on base. Frostburg carried that momentum into their at-bats, as Estrada smacked a leadoff homerun over the right field fence to make the score 10-0. Jones went on to record his first hit of the day, knocking a double to center field, soon to be scored on another single from Campbell, for an 11-0 Bobcat lead after six.
Shippensburg was able to show some life in the top of the seventh, scoring their first run of the game. FSU quickly got that run back, as Gulczynski drew a walk and was sent around the bases to score after two batters were hit by pitches and a wild pitch hit the backstop. The Raiders found their offensive momentum in the top of the eighth, adding four more runs to their score to bring the game to 12-5.
The game stayed 12-5 heading into the top of the ninth, as Shippensburg had their final at-bats. The Raiders put three more runs on the board, but a trio of Frostburg pitchers in the ninth would help close out the game, giving the Bobcats the 12-8 victory.
Estrada led the way for FSU going 2-for-3 on the day with three runs and four RBI. Guy recorded three to go along with two runs and one RBI, as both Kiple and Campbell finished 2-for-4, combining for two runs and three RBI. Huyer was credited with the win, his second of the season, as senior Andrew Smith earned his first save.
With the win, Frostburg goes to 12-11 on the season while Shippensburg falls to 16-13. The Bobcats will go back on the road as they will face MEC opponent West Virginia Wesleyan for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 1 with the first game set for 1 PM. For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.
