FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State softball hosted Wheeling for a Friday afternoon double header, winning both games by scores of 3-2 and 7-3.
Senior day festivities were held after the sweep, with Bri Powell honored as the lone Bobcat senior for her astounding career.
In game one, FSU got the bats going in the bottom of the first inning, with freshman Arden Miller opening with a single into left field and moving to second on a sac groundout by junior Sierra Sanderson. Powell stepped up and grounded a single to center field, making her way all the way around the bases on a Cardinal error to make the score 2-0 Bobcats.
In the top of the second inning, Wheeling answered swiftly, loading the bases with no outs. Junior Sydney Theobald was able to get the next out and prevent a run, but then in an attempt to turn a double play on the next batter, FSU threw the ball into the outfield to plate a run. WU kept the Frostburg bats quiet and went on to tie the game in the top of the fourth inning with a solo homer to make the score 2-2.
It took all the way until the bottom of the sixth inning for either team to gain any momentum, of which the Bobcats were the ones to capitalize. Junior Ryann Darling reached base after battling to earn a walk, then sophomore Mackenzie Baker entered the game as a pinch hitter, coming up huge with a double to right-center field that brought Darling across the plate for a 3-2 lead.
Despite allowing a one-out single in the top of the seventh, Theobald settled in and got the three outs she needed, helped by a smooth snare by sophomore Jamie Roberts at first to earn her 10th win of the year.
In game two, the Bobcat bats came alive in the bottom of the second inning, with sophomore Alyssa Albright opening the inning with a double to left field. Baker would grab her second hit of the day with a shot over the left field fence to give FSU a 2-0 lead. Junior Katie Ernst came up to bat, adding a double to right field, followed by freshman Ally Myers singling to left field, advancing Ernst to third. Miller would fly out to left field, getting enough distance to allow Ernst to score on the sac fly. Sanderson then singled to left field, bringing freshman pinch runner Gracie Nelson in from third to plate the fourth run of the inning.
Roberts got the start in the circle for game two and spun a clean first three innings, allowing just one walk and one hit. She helped her own cause in the bottom of the third, launching a lead-off bomb out to left for a 5-0 Bobcat lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Ernst would reach base via walk, then Miller came up big with a triple to right field to bring Ernst across the plate and a runner at third with just one out. Sanderson came up to add an infield single and went on to steal second, with Miller coming across on the throw to second to extend the lead to 7-0 heading into the fifth inning.
The Cardinals threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs, but Roberts limited the damage to just one run off a sac fly to right, keeping FSU with a healthy 7-1 lead. WU continued to make things interesting, lining three straight hits to begin the top of the seventh, scoring a pair of runs with nobody out. Once more, Roberts was able to calm down any threat of a rally, with Powell making a great leaping catch a short, a pop out to third, and a fly out to center ending the contest 7-3 in favor of the Bobcats.
With the sweep, Frostburg moves to 28-17 on the year, while the Cardinals fall to 7-37 on the season. The Bobcats are set to host West Liberty for a doubleheader on Sunday, April 23 at 1PM. For more information on Frostburg State Softball, please visit http://frostburgsports.com.
