FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State baseball team finished off their season sweep of Alderson Broaddus with a pair of wins on a chilly Sunday by scores of 16-6 and 13-3. 

The Bobcats wasted no time getting started in game one, as sophomore Randy Steen hit a lead-off single, stole second, got to third on a passed ball, and eventually was brought home on an RBI single by junior Ethan Kiple. Sophomore Danny Estrada had also drawn a walk, where he and Kiple were both able to score on a two-RBI double by senior Trevor Jones for a 3-0 FSU lead after an inning.

In the top of the second, the Battlers loaded the bases with two outs, but only managed one run across on a passed ball. Junior Stafford Allison led off the bottom of the inning by running out an infield single to short, followed by junior Justin Jimenez being hit by a pitch. Steen laid down a perfect sac bunt to move the runners up, which paid off when Allison scored on a wild pitch and Jimenez was brought home on a sac fly to center by Estrada for a 5-1 lead.

Again, AB responded in the next half inning, using a home run and an RBI single to get within 5-3. Kiple silenced the opposing dugout with a smashed homer to left, with the blast putting him in sole place at second on the all-time career home run chart at 28. Jones was then hit by a pitch and driven in on an RBI double by senior AJ Campbell. Steen started the fourth with a lead-off line drive just over the wall in left to push the lead to 8-3.

Alderson Broaddus used back-to-back doubles and another passed ball to get back within three, but their hopes of a comeback ended with Frostburg's monster bottom half of the inning. Sophomore Christian Shertzer and Campbell were both walked, then Jimenez got hit by another pitch to load the bases with one out. With the help of an error in center, Steen cleared the bases on a single that was allowed to go all the way the wall, resulting in the bases being cleared and Steen coming around to score himself. The Bobcats were just getting started, with
sophomore Mikey Guy and Kiple both being walked and scoring on a moon shot by Jones for a 10-run lead. Shertzer followed up by making it back-to-back jacks and a 16-5 lead.

After a scoreless sixth, freshman Steven Tameris came on to close things out, allowing just one run in the top of the seventh for the final 16-6 score line.

Sophomore Jacob Stretch picked up the win, going four innings and picking up four strikeouts, while sophomore Cael Huyer had two innings of relief work, giving up no hits and striking out four.

Game two would see junior Will Grove take the mound, giving up one run in the first before settling into a very good outing. The Frostburg bats would start right where they left off in the first game, as an error and a pair of RBI singles from Kiple and Jones put FSU ahead 3-1, a lead they would not relinquish. 

After Grove faced the minimum in the next half inning, the Bobcat bats were at it again, with Allison drawing a walk and Steen hitting a two-run home run to left for his second on the day. Not to be out-done, Kiple followed suit hitting a deep shot over the netting in left center, growing the lead to 7-1.

Again, Grove worked quickly through the third and fourth innings, keeping AB at just their one run. Steen continued his hot hitting, leading off the bottom of the fourth with a triple to later be knocked in by Estrada. Guy would double in the inning and eventually score on a passed ball to go up 9-1.

Grove's day would end after giving up a long ball in the sixth, with senior Ben Vok coming on in relief and going the rest of the game only giving up one hit. The Bobcats would add three more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a launched homer from sophomore Cy Probst, ending the game in favor of FSU 13-3.

Steen would end the day going 6-for-7, scoring six times, knocking in five and hitting two homers. Not far behind, Kiple went 4-of-7 with a pair of home runs, six runs scored, and five RBI. 

With the sweep, Frostburg now stands at 24-17 on the season, while the Battlers fall to 10-30. FSU will next host California (PA) at home on Wednesday, April 26 at 3 PM. For more information visit frostburgsports.com