FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Baseball team split the last doubleheader of the series against Wheeling, taking the first game 13-3 and falling in the second 6-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore Jacob Stretch got the start on the mound for Frostburg in game one, fanning the first three Cardinals of the game for a quick three up three down. The Bobcats got their offense going quickly, scoring five runs right off the bat in their half of the inning. Sophomore Danny Estrada recorded a leadoff single, to come around and score the first run of the game off a passed ball and an error from Wheeling. Senior Trevor Jones ripped an RBI single to left field, soon to be advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed ball, coming home to score on an RBI single to left from sophomore Cy Probst. Sophomore Randy Steen then up to bat, smacked a two-run shot over the left field fence for a quick 5-0 FSU lead after one.
Wheeling found some momentum on offense to open up the second, scoring two runs of their own. Frostburg quickly got those two runs back, as Estrada recorded another leadoff single, and came around to score on a two-run bomb to left from junior Ethan Kiple for a 7-2 lead.
Both teams stayed quiet in the third, before FSU tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth, on an RBI double to left field by Jones. The Bobcats kept rolling in their next at-bats, adding five more runs to their total. Junior Stafford Allison smacked a three-run home run, followed by a two-run home run from Estrada, for a 13-3 lead heading into the sixth. The Cardinals found themselves one more run in the top of the sixth, as FSU kept the score at 13-3 to finish out game one with the victory.
The Cardinals were first to strike in game two, scoring a run in the top of the second for an early 1-0 lead. Wheeling kept that energy going in the third, tacking on another run as well. Frostburg's offense began in the bottom of the third, as junior Justin Jimenez reached on an error, stole second and advanced to third, coming around to score on a ground out by Estrada, to bring the game to 2-1.
Neither team was able to get anything going in the fourth, as the Cardinals recorded two more runs in the top of the fifth for a 5-1 lead. Wheeling tacked on one more run in the top of the seventh, as FSU brought around one more run in their last at-bats as Steen singled to center field, followed by senior Andrew Smith ripping a double to left, as Steen then came around to score on a groundout by Probst. With only one out left, the Bobcats were unable to get anything else going, dropping the game 6-2.
Steen led the way on offense for FSU, finishing with four hits, three runs, and two RBI. Estrada recorded three hits, four runs, and two RBI on the day, while Kiple and Jones both knocked a pair of hits for a total of two runs and four RBI. Stretch was credited with the win in game one, his third of the season, allowing three hits and two runs in five innings, while striking out nine.
With the split, Frostburg moves to 20-16 on the season, while Wheeling goes to 19-16. The Bobcats will travel to Greensburg, PA on Tuesday, April 18 for a single nine-inning game against Seton Hill with the game set for 3 PM. For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.
