CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Baseball team defeated West Liberty 10-6 in their day three elimination game to advance in the MEC Baseball Championship, presented by YES! Chevrolet and YES! Ford.
 
FSU wasted no time getting on the board, with sophomore Randy Steen singling up the middle and fellow sophomore Danny Estrada getting hit by a pitch to put the first two runners on with no outs. Junior Ethan Kiple and seniors Trevor Jones and AJ Campbell all roped doubles into the outfield, plating four total runs in the top of the first for an early Bobcat lead.
 
Freshman Joe Pippin got his first taste of MEC Tournament action as the game three starter, working a pair of strikeouts in his first five batters faced. The Hilltoppers were able to get a run across, using a hit by pitch and RBI single to get on the board at 4-1 after the second frame. WLU continued their pressure, this time capitalizing on a Frostburg error in the bottom of the third to score another run, but Pippin got a strikeout swinging to end the threat with FSU still in the lead.
 
Sophomore Christian Shertzer drew a full count walk to open the third inning, then Campbell launched a homer to left to put the Bobcats up 6-2. Following a strikeout, junior Stafford Allison doubled into center, then moved to third after Steen raced out an infield single. Estrada flew out to center, but got enough distance on the ball to allow Allison to tag up from third and make it a 7-2 game.
 
In the top of the fourth, Pippin needed just six pitches to work three quick outs, then during West Liberty's next at-bats was helped out by his defense. A lead-off infield single was followed by a fly out to left, then Kiple masterfully fielded a lined shot at him and stepped on first to get the double play and end the inning with the five-run lead intact.
 
Campbell began the top of the sixth getting on base for the third time with a walk, then junior Justin Jimenez laid down a perfect bunt between first and second, reaching the bag to put two runners on. Both Bobcats moved up on stolen bases, then Campbell scored after Allison squeezed a single underneath the third baseman's glove, with Jimenez moving to third. Steen followed up with a chopped grounder to short, where Allison was thrown out at second but Jimenez scored and Steen reached on the fielder's choice, being credited with the RBI and a 9-2 FSU advantage.
 
WLU did not give up the fight, finding their offense in the bottom half of the sixth after the first batter struck out. A pair of singles and a double scored the first run of the inning, followed by a hit by pitch, wild pitch, and sac fly to center that suddenly brought the score to 9-5. The Hilltoppers kept up the comeback attempt in the seventh, with a lead-off walk, single up the middle, and back-to-back wild pitches scoring another run for a 9-6 score line.
 
The Bobcats got an important insurance run in the top of the eighth, as Allison drew a walk to start the inning, followed by Steen reaching on a bunt single and Kiple driving Allison in on a rope to left for a 10-6 advantage.
 
Senior reliever Ben Vok entered in the bottom half of the inning and kept West Liberty quiet with a strikeout, groundout, and fly out, working out of a two-out single thanks to a smooth sliding catch from Allison in left. FSU went quietly in the top half of the ninth, setting the stage for the final at-bats of the night for WLU, with the top of their lineup ready to go. Vok got the lead-off man to look at strike three, but the Hilltoppers immediately responded with a double and a walk. On awkward bloop off the bat, Steen made a great barehanded play, throwing the runner out at second to get two outs with runners at the corners. After falling behind in the count 2-0, Vok brilliantly came back to earn his third strikeout of the night, fist-pumping his way off the mound after sealing a 10-6 Bobcat victory.
 
The 10 runs scored are the most-ever for the team in the MEC tournament, while the 12 hits are tied for the program-high.
 
Steen, Kiple, Campbell, and Allison all had multiple hits on the day, combining for seven RBI and six runs scored, with Jones and Estrada accounting for the team's remaining RBI. Vok and sophomores Nate Vermillion and Cael Huyer combined to throw the final three and two-thirds innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out four.
 
With the win, Frostburg advances to day four of the tournament with a record of 32-19, while West Liberty ends their season at 21-30. The Bobcats will face a rematch with Concord on Saturday, May 13, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.