HAGERSTOWN, Md. – The Frostburg State Baseball team dropped their night game against Shepherd 9-8 in extra innings at Meritus Park Tuesday evening.

After a quick first half from the Bobcat offense, sophomore Hunter Layhew toed the rubber, working easily through the first three SU batters, and found similar success in the second inning with a caught stealing from classmate and battery mate Sam Atkinson. In the top of the third, the FSU bats found success, as freshman Landon Marple led off with a single to left before advancing to second on a grounder. Redshirt sophomore CJ Carmichael then reached on an error, allowing Marple to score before freshman Tanner Cunningham added another with a double down the left field line. After freshman Drew Jourdan worked a walk, the biggest swing of the inning came off the bat of junior Jackson Schalick as he belted a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall to give Frostburg an early 5-0 lead.

With some cushion from his offense, Layhew set SU's batters down 1-2-3 before the Bobcats would threaten in the top of the fourth with back-to-back hit by pitches, however a strikeout and a double play kept the score right where it was. In the bottom of the inning, Shepherd would break through to Layhew as a double and a hit by pitch put two runners on before they both came around to score on a pair of hits to lower FSU's lead to three. The fifth inning brought more traffic on the basepaths, as singles from Jourdan and Schalick and a four-pitch walk to senior Jake Holler loaded the bases, but the Rams were able to get out of the jam with a grounder. Layhew in the fifth went back to setting SU batters down as he generated two flyouts and got a batter swinging before Frostburg's bats added another as Marple doubled to left, then stole third before advancing home on a throwing error to bring the score to 6-2.

With Layhew replaced on the mound, Shepherd got their bats going with two singles between an out before a homer lowered the deficit to two. A walk and a double served for another pitching change, however the Ram offense wasn't done, with three singles plating three runs for an 8-6 lead. Looking to respond in the seventh, Schalick worked a four-pitch walk before moving to second on a balk, then junior Ryan Bouna doubled to right center, which brought Schalick home, lowering FSU's deficit to one.

Frostburg had some action going in the eighth as well, with sophomore Manny Hall leading things off with a single and making his way to third on a wild pitch and sac bunt, however he was left stranded after a strikeout and a groundout. To keep the score exactly where it was, the Bobcats sent out junior Joey Serafin, who set down Shepherd 1-2-3 via two fly balls and a grounder before FSU had some magic in the ninth. Bouma worked a one-out walk before being pinch run for by redshirt junior Tiernan Daly. That move paid off twice, as Daly advanced to third on a Holler single to left before tagging up on a shallow flyball from junior Logan Helser, just barely beating the throw to tie the game at eight.

In the bottom of the ninth, Serafin came back out and managed to retire the Rams in order to send the game to extra innings. The top of the tenth started off with Carmichael beating out an infield single before Cunninham replaced him at first on a fielder's choice while Jourdan singled through the left side, sending Cunningham to third. Sophomore Zane Bohn walked to load the bases, but SU was able to get out of the jam with a pop-up. With Serafin coming back out for his third inning of work, Shepherd began the bottom of the tenth with a single as the runner just barely beat Jourdan's throw before Serafin was able to get two outs, however the next batter hit a first-pitch single up the middle to give SU the 9-8 walk-off victory. 

Schalick led Frostburg on offense as he tallied two hits with three RBIs, as Jourdan and Marple each had a pair of hits. Layhew pitched five innings, allowing just two runs on four hits.

With the loss, the Bobcats fall to 27-14 as Shepherd improves to 25-17. FSU is back at Bob Wells Field on Friday, April 24 at 1 PM to start their four-game series against Salem (WV). For more information, please visit frostburgsports.com.