EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Frostburg State Baseball team concluded their season Friday afternoon, falling shy in their attempted comeback during their 8-6 loss to Millersville in the second round of the NCAA Regional Tournament.
Junior Patrick Bauer got the start from the bump for Frostburg, as Millersville struck early for a 1-0 lead off of two hits. The Bobcats fired right back in their first chances at the plate, as freshman Jackson Schalick walked, senior Ethan Kiple reached on an error, and junior Mikey Guy walked to load the bases. Junior Randy Steen then singled to left center, picking up two RBI and a 2-1 FSU lead. MU kept things going in the second inning, retaking the lead for a 4-2 game, as Bauer was able to strand one Marauder on base to end the top of the frame. Frostburg tacked on another run to their total in the bottom of the second, as junior Ben Wieman reached base, advanced to second on a single from junior Danny Estrada, and was sent home to score on an RBI single from Kiple, bringing the game to 4-3 after two.
Bauer worked three fly outs in the top of the third, as Guy and Steen smacked back-to-back singles to begin the bottom of the inning, with both runners being left on base. Bauer started with a strikeout in the fourth, giving up one hit but leaving the runner on. Kiple knotted another single through the left side in his at-bat of the fourth, but was left on base as well, as Millersville still led 4-3 heading into the fifth.
The Marauders put their first two runners on to start off the fifth, causing freshman Jack Ray to come on in relief. MU kept their foot on the gas, knocking two more hits and scoring two runs, before a fielder's choice play at home and a strikeout from Ray ended the top half of the inning with bases loaded and a 6-3 advantage for Millersville. FSU saw a 1-2-3 inning in their at-bats of the fifth, trailing by three going into the sixth.
Ray sat MU down in order in the top half of the sixth, recording a strikeout to put the Bobcats at the plate. Frostburg put two on in the bottom of the inning, leaving both on, as Ray did the same in the top of the seventh. Freshman Ryan Bouma knocked a leadoff single in the bottom half, advancing to third on a groundout from Guy, and crossing home plate on a grounder from junior Cy Probst, seeing the game at 6-4. Millersville doubled their lead in their look at offense in the eighth, belting a two-run shot over the left field fence, as graduate Daniel Morgano was called upon to get the final out of the inning.
The Bobcats got one run back in their at-bats of the eighth, as Estrada and Kiple roped back-to-back singles, with Bouma following with a walk to load the bases. Guy was then credited with an RBI, sending a sacrifice fly out to right field, scoring Estrada for an 8-5 game. Morgano stranded one Marauder in the top of the ninth to send Frostburg into their last chance at offense. Probst led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to center, as Wieman and freshman Logan Helser, coming in to pinch hit, were walked to load the bases. Estrada grounded out to second, allowing Probst to score to cut the game to 8-6. Kiple was then intentionally walked to load the bases once more for FSU, but with two outs, the Bobcats were unable to get anything else going, dropping the game 8-6 to conclude their NCAA Tournament run.
Kiple led the way offensively for FSU with three hits, one run, and an RBI, while both Steen and Estrada recorded a pair of hits, combining for one run and three RBI. Bauer pitched four innings giving up eight hits and six runs, while striking out three.
With the loss, Frostburg ends their season with an overall record of 37-16, while Millersville goes to 38-15 and stays alive to advance to the third round of regional competition.
