FROSTBURG, Md. - The Frostburg State Softball team concluded their 2023 home season with a sweep over West Liberty on Tuesday, winning by scores of 6-3 and 12-3.
Junior Sydney Theobald got the start in the circle for game one and worked three quick groundouts in the top of the first. Her offense gave her a lead to work with, as junior Sierra Sanderson lined a one-out single into center, stole second and advanced to third after being hit by the throw. FSU was helped out by the Hilltopper defense, as a two-out error off the bat of sophomore Allyssa Albright allowed Sanderson to score for a 1-0 lead.
Theobald worked around a pair of singles in the top of the second to keep WLU off the board and bring the Bobcat bats up again. Junior Katie Ernst reached on another West Liberty error, followed by a single up the middle by sophomore Cristina Sommerkamp and an RBI double by freshman Arden Miller to bring Ernst home. With two outs on the board, senior Bri Powell came up clutch, lacing a double into left to drive in both Sommerkamp and Miller for a 4-0 Frostburg lead.
Both teams went scoreless in the third and fourth innings, then the Hilltoppers finally found their offense in the top of the fifth, using a lead-off double and a pair of Bobcat errors to plate three runs and suddenly bring the score to 4-3. Powell and sophomore Jamie Roberts had an immediate answer in the bottom of the frame, both launching shots into left center for back-to-back homers and a 6-3 advantage.
Theobald was efficient the rest of the way, allowing just a pair baserunners across the final two innings to earn the complete-game win.
Albright was entrusted on the mound in game two and just as in game one, worked a scoreless first inning to be given a lead in the bottom half of the inning. After Sanderson reached on an error and got to second from said error, she tagged to third on a Powell fly out to right, eventually scoring when Roberts was able to run out an infield single.
West Liberty answered right away, using a pair of singles and a double to tie the score at 1-1. Things wouldn't stay tied for long, however, as sophomore Mackenzie Baker led off the bottom of the second with a double into left-center, moving to third on a bloop single by junior Brianna Munday, and coming around to score after a sac fly from sophomore Samara Funk to regain the lead 2-1. Just as they had in the previous inning, WLU would quickly erase their deficit, this time hitting a two-run shot into left-center to take their first lead of the day at 3-2.
The Bobcats found motivation in being behind for the first time, putting up seven hits in the bottom of the third, while the Hilltoppers made a whopping four errors in the field, allowing nine runs to cross the plate. Sanderson and Powell both had a pair of hits in the inning, as Roberts, Baker, Munday, and Sanderson all had an RBI contributing to an 11-3 lead.
Roberts came on in relief of Albright in the top of the fourth and struck out the side. Doubles from Baker and Funk plated the final run of the afternoon in the bottom of the fourth, as Roberts worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth to end the game 12-3 by mercy rule.
With the sweep, Frostburg improves to 30-17 on the year, while West Liberty falls to 12-36. The Bobcats return to action on Friday, April 28 to face Charleston (WV) on the road, with their doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.
