GLENVILLE, W. Va. - The Frostburg State Softball team began their weekend with a 10-7 victory over West Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon.
Getting her first start of the year, senior Katie Chapple worked around a pair of walks in the top of the first to keep the Golden Bears off the board. In the bottom half of the frame, senior Jamie Roberts clutched a two-out homer to straightaway center to give FSU an early 1-0 lead. Chapple continued to keep WVU Tech off the board through the next two innings, though the Bobcats couldn't add to their one run on the day.
The Golden Bears broke through in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with no outs, as senior Sydney Theobald was brought into the circle to try and get out of trouble. She was able to work a strikeout and a grounder to third that got the runner at home, but a walk and back-to-back wild pitches plated three runs for WVU Tech, putting them ahead 3-1. Frostburg responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame, as sophomore Olivia Stetler drew a lead-off walk and was brought in on a homer by senior Ryann Darling, tying the game at 3-3.
Theobald set the Golden Bears down in order in the fifth, then junior Samara Funk led off the bottom of the inning with FSU's third bomb of the day to regain the lead 4-3. WVU Tech wasn't about to go down quietly, as a one-out rally began with a homer into left, followed by a walk and infield single, with both runners advancing on a sac bunt. A wild pitch scored one run, then the next batter sent the ball right back up the middle for a 6-4 lead.
Not discouraged by being down, junior Hannah Binek helped start the Bobcat comeback with a lead-off single into left, then stole second and advanced to third on a fielder's choice. A Golden Bear error helped keep the momentum with Frostburg to score Binek, then junior Allyssa Albright earned a pinch-hit walk. Funk legged out an infield single, as senior Brianna Munday, who reached on the aforementioned error, crossed home plate to even the score. Another WVU Tech error with sophomore Gracie Nelson at the plate put two more FSU runs on the board, as she then scored on an RBI single from Roberts for a 9-6 advantage. Stetler laced a single into left, then Binek brought the inning full circle with an RBI double to put Frostburg up 10-6 headed to the final inning.
Still looking to stay alive, the Golden Bears hit a lead-off home run in the seventh, but Roberts settled back down on the mound to get back-to-back K's and a foul out to end the threat and give the Bobcats a 10-7 win.
Funk, Roberts, and Binek all recorded multi-hit games, joining in with Darling to provide each FSU RBI on the day.
With the win, Frostburg improves to 3-2 on the year, while WVU Tech falls to 3-6. The Bobcats remain in Glenville to face a pair of PSAC opponents in Gannon and Slippery Rock on Sunday, with game times set for 1 and 6 p.m., respectively. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.
