CARY, N.C. – The Frostburg State Baseball team came up just shy in a 6-5 loss to Slippery Rock on their second day at the USA Baseball Complex on Saturday.
 
Sophomore Hunter Layhew got the start on the bump for FSU and sat SRU down in order in the top of the first, working a pair of fly outs and then covering first on a grounder. He was given an early lead in the bottom half, as freshman Drew Jourdan reached on an error then advanced up to third following a sac bunt by sophomore Manny Hall. Junior Jackson Schalick hit a sac fly into center as Jourdan came home for the opening run. Frostburg threatened further with senior Jake Holler doubling to left and junior Logan Helser drawing a walk, but the frame ended on a strikeout with no more damage.
 
The Rock evened things back up in the second, leading off with a walk before a double into center plated the runner for a 1-1 tie. Layhew worked out of trouble by getting a strikeout and fly out to close out the inning. In the bottom half, the Bobcats drew a lead-off walk through redshirt sophomore CJ Carmichael, while junior Brian Scott singled up the middle and Jourdan managed a sac bunt that brought Carmichael home for a 2-1 advantage.
 
Neither side managed much offense through the next three innings, bringing the same score into the top of the sixth. Slippery Rock was able to get some momentum through a one-out walk and double into center that put a pair in scoring position. FSU nearly got out of things following a pop up to short, but SRU had other ideas, getting back-to-back singles and another two-base knock to plate three total runs and go up 4-2.
 
Frostburg managed just one baserunner in both the sixth and seventh frames, getting The Rock back up to the plate in the eighth. Their first batter tripled into right and was brought home on a single to left, then a Bobcat error brought home a second run to put them ahead 6-2. FSU was able to fight back in the eighth, with Carmichael leading off on a hit the other way followed by a walk drawn by sophomore Zane Bohn. Scott roped a double to right that brought Carmichael in to score and placed each runner in position to score, which is just what happened as Jourdan poked one into right to pull within 6-5. The momentum was halted after a strikeout and caught stealing, taking things into the final inning.
 
Graduate Ty Morris came out of the bullpen looking to give Frostburg a chance to tie or win in the bottom of the ninth, getting a foul out behind the plate and then working a 4-6-3 double play following an error that kept SRU off the board. Two quick groundouts seemed to put victory in The Rock's hands, but Carmichael kept FSU's hopes alive with a single into left. Freshman Tanner Cunningham then drew a walk and Scott was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Slippery Rock was just able to get out of trouble, with a grounder to short resulting in a fielder's choice and no runs being able to score, holding on to the 6-5 win.
 
Carmichael enjoyed a perfect day at the plate, going 4-for-4 while drawing a walk, as Jourdan, Holler, and Scott all recorded multi-hit games, the former driving in a trio of runs.
 
With the loss, Frostburg drops to 4-2 on the year while Slippery Rock improves to 3-0. Due to impending weather, FSU's Sunday game against Kutztown has been canceled, as the Bobcats will return to action on Friday, February 27 against Walsh in Morgantown, WV at 2:30 PM. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.