CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Baseball team saw their MEC Tournament run come to a close with a 4-2 loss to West Virginia State on Friday night.
 
Three quick Bobcat outs began the game, as junior Max Proctor then returned the favor, getting a couple grounders to short and a fly out to left to end a scoreless first. In the top of the second, junior Mikey Guy got the first bit of offense with a single the other way before stealing second. A fly out and groundout put FSU to their last out of the frame, but junior Cy Probst kept it alive with a walk, then freshman Logan Helser hit a sharp ball to third, as it bounced off the bag and into the outfield, allowing Guy to come in for a 1-0 lead.
 
The Yellow Jackets hit back right away, as a lead-off walk was followed by three straight singles and a fly out to center to score two runs. With two runners still in scoring position, Proctor recorded with a big strikeout and then fielder a ball grounded right back to him to end the threat with the score at 2-1. Frostburg was put down in order to start the third, then Proctor once again was able to get out of trouble, allowing a lead-off double followed by a walk, but getting a double play and another strikeout to keep the deficit at one run.
 
FSU got a run back in the fourth, as junior Danny Estrada ripped a one-out single into left, followed by a double off the bat of freshman Ryan Bouma, with Probst picking up an RBI knock to tie things at 2-2. With runners still at the corners, WVSU kept the damage to a minimum with a strikeout and pop out to close out the frame. Proctor worked an efficient bottom half, getting another K followed by a fly out to left, then left a runner on after an infield single with a groundout to third.
 
Freshman Jackson Schalick started the fifth with an infield single, then moved to second on a sac bunt as senior Ethan Kiple drew a one-out walk. Both runners were left stranded, as Schalick moved to third on a fly out but couldn't advance further on an inning-ending strikeout. Neither team generated much in the sixth, as junior Cael Huyer came on in relief of Proctor and recovered from a lead-off walk with back-to-back strikeouts and a grounder to third. FSU continued to struggle on offense, leaving another pair on base as senior Randy Steen got a two-out knock up the middle and Kiple drew a walk, both being stranded by a strikeout.
 
West Virginia State were the ones to finally break through in the bottom of the seventh, with a one-out single, double, and walk loading the bases before a two-out double off the wall in right brought two go-ahead runs in for a 4-2 game. Estrada was the lone Bobcat to reach base in either of the final two frames, being hit by a pitch but unable to advance, as WVSU held on to advance.
 
Probst and Helser were the only sources of offense on the day, each driving in a run, as Proctor tossed six innings with two runs, one earned, allowed while striking out three.
 
With the loss, Frostburg drops to 37-14 on the year, while the Yellow Jackets improve to 30-19 and advance to Saturday. The Bobcats now await to see if their name will be called during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, May 12 at 10:30 p.m. FSU was placed seventh in the most recent rankings, as the top seven from the Atlantic Region will qualify for the Tournament. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.