FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Baseball team split their Friday doubleheader against Salem (WV), falling 14-5 and winning 14-4.
To start game one, the lead-off batter for SU reached via an error, followed by a single, before the visitors blasted a three-run homer over the left center fence. The Tigers would then add another run after a double and a single to hold a 4-0 lead over FSU. In the bottom of the first, freshman Drew Jourdan and junior Jackson Schalick both reached via a free base, but Salem worked out of the jam with a 6-4-3 double play. Sophomore Mac Crismond came out of the bullpen to start the second, working easily through SU's batters with two flyouts and a swinging K before Frostburg threatened in the bottom of the inning with a pair of hits, but weren't able to push any runs across.
The third inning went by scoreless from both sides, with Crismond continuing to keep the Tigers' offense at bay until the fourth inning. After two quick outs, a double was followed by another homer to add two more runs to Salem's lead. They weren't done yet, as the very next batter also sent one over the fence for a 7-0 advantage. In the bottom of the frame, the Bobcats were finally able to break through to SU's pitching, as Schalick led off the inning with a single before junior Ryan Bouma reached base on an error and senior Jake Holler walked to load the bases. That allowed for freshman Landon Marple to put a ball far enough into the outfield to serve as a sac fly, then classmate Zane Bohn lined a double to left center to score Bouma and Holler to lower the deficit to 7-3.
The Tigers would add a few more insurance runs in the fifth, putting two singles and a sac fly together for a 9-3 score. After a quiet inning from FSU, Salem kept tallying runs, putting another ball over the fence before three walks and a hit by pitch plated another. Senior Bryce Snyder came in, needing only one pitch to get the last out via a fly ball with the lead standing at 12-3. Junior Cole Carter led things off in the sixth with a single before Marple was hit by a pitch and a walk to Bohn loaded the bases. After SU recorded two outs, sophomore Manny Hall worked a walk that brought in a run before a fielder's choice off the bat of Jourdan brought in Frostburg's fifth run. Salem used three more free bases, a single, and a passed ball to plate another pair of runs, putting Frostburg down in the bottom half for the 14-5 victory.
Bohn led the offense with two hits and a pair of RBIs as Marple drove in one RBI.
In similar fashion to the first game, SU didn't wait long to grab an early lead, as a single and a walk led to a three-run homer and a 3-0 score. In the bottom of the frame, FSU would hit back quickly, as Hall singled and Schalick walked, with Holler putting a three-run shot over the left center wall to even the score at three. With Frostburg's offense proving they had his back, freshman Bryce Bauer went out and set down the Tigers' offense with a grounder and two strikeouts. Despite two runners on in the bottom of the second, the Bobcats wouldn't be able to add any runs before Salem led off the third with a solo shot to put them back up 4-3.
After two quiet innings from both sides, FSU blew things open in the bottom of the fifth, as Hall got things started with a single to center before Schalick followed with one of his own to left, then Holler belted another three-run bomb to take a 6-4 lead. The scoring didn't end there, as Jourdan doubled before stealing third, followed by Bohn getting plunked and reaching base as sophomore Sam Atkinson singled to bring Jourdan home. Carmichael and Cunningham both responded with singles that drove in Bohn and Atkinson before back-to-back walks to Hall and Schalick loaded the bases with Holler up again, and for the second time that inning, he went deep, this time for a grand slam to balloon the score to 14-4.
Bauer came back out in the sixth, able to get the first two batters before allowing a single that ended his day, as sophomore Kamden Sowers came out of the bullpen, able to get the last out by catching the batter looking. Carmichael and Cunningham both reached base in the sixth via a hit by pitch and a single, but they wouldn't come around as the Tigers worked through the third out. Entrusted to get the final three outs, junior Branden Brown toed the rubber in dominant fashion and set Salem's offense down 1-2-3, securing the 14-4 win.
Holler was a terror at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three homers, two of those being three-run shots and the third a grand slam to drive in 10 RBIs. Hall, Cunningham, and Carmichael each recorded a pair of hits, with the latter two knocking in a run apiece. Bauer earned the win, throwing 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out six. Out of the bullpen, Sowers and Brown combined for 1.1 scoreless innings, each recording a strikeout.
With the split, the Bobcats move to 28-15 as the Tigers go to 29-14 on the year. Frostburg is back at home on Sunday, April 26, as they continue their series against Salem with the first game starting at 1 PM, where it will also be Youth Baseball Day at Bob Wells Field. For more information, please visit frostburgsports.com.
