WHEELING, W. Va. – The Frostburg State softball team split their road doubleheader with Wheeling on Saturday, bouncing back from a 5-3 loss in game one with a 9-0 win in game two.
FSU would start the first game strong, as senior Gracie Nelson was hit by a pitch while sophomore Bri Russo drew a walk, as each moved up on stolen bases. Seniors Arden Miller and Ally Myers would drive both in on a pair of sacrifice flies for a 2-0 lead. The Cardinals would get one run back in the bottom half, using a sac fly of their own to halve the deficit. After Frostburg went down in order in the second, WU launched back-to-back homers to go up 3-2.
Wheeling's pitching would keep the FSU bats quiet again, as the hosts would add two more runs in the bottom of the third on another long ball to go up 5-2. Frostburg had a pair of runners on in both the fourth and fifth innings, but weren't able to get the necessary offense to drive them in. Myers had taken over on the mound and ensured WU wouldn't add any insurance runs with a 1-2-3 fifth. In the sixth, junior Kylee Piconi drove a two-out single the other way, then sophomore Sage Haller would double to center to knock her in, getting the Bobcats within two. Down to their final at-bats, all the Bobcats could manage in the seventh was a lined single from freshman Sammy Magee, as Wheeling took the 5-3 win.
In game two the bats would heat up for the Bobcats, as Miller would draw a two out walk in the first to eventually come around and score on back-to-back singles from Myers and sophomore Izabella Donaldson. Freshman Izzy Dietrich would keep the Cardinals off the board with minimal damage in the first two frames, allowing just two singles with some help from Haller turning a 6-6-3 double play to end the second. Nelson led off the third with an infield single while Miller was hit by a pitch, as Donaldson would strike again, this time on a three-run homer, making it 4-0.
Dietrich ran into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the third, allowing a pair of lead-off singles, however she worked a pop up and back-to-back grounders to escape the jam. Haller and senior Olivia Stetler worked two straight knocks to start the fourth, both moving up on a wild pitch before Magee hit a sacrifice fly to center bring in one run. Nelson and Russo followed with a single and a double, respectively, putting two more runs home, then Myers drew a walk and Donaldson ripped one up the middle for an 8-0 lead.
Dietrich again worked around a pair of hits in the bottom half by cleanly fielding a comebacker, as Haller powered a shot over the wall for a 9-0 advantage in the next half inning. There would be no comeback bid from WU, as Dietrich sat the side down in order to secure the split.
Haller and Donalson would have three hits on the day, with each hitting a home run. Dietrich tossed the full five innings in game two, allowing no runs on six hits.
With the split Frostburg is now 33-9 on the season while Wheeling stands at 10-36 FSU will continue its road trip with a doubleheader against West Liberty on Sunday, April 26 starting at 12 PM. For more information, please visit frostburgsports.com.
