Frostburg State University Athletics

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Softball team earned a home Friday split with West Virginia State, dropping game one 5-3 while coming away with a 7-6 win in game two.
 
FSU sent sophomore Izabella Donaldson to the circle to start game one, as she worked three consecutive strikeouts, all on full counts, to end a scoreless first. Senior Gracie Nelson led off the bottom half by drawing a walk, as she would be stranded after three consecutive outs. WVSU broke through with two outs in the second inning, worked a pair of walks before an RBI single into left put them ahead 1-0.
 
A free base issued to sophomore Bri Russo would be the only Bobcat baserunner, as the Yellow Jackets furthered their advantage in the third. A fielding error and single through the left side was followed by a sac bunt to put both runners in scoring position, where a sac fly brought in one run. Another error allowed the second runner to cross, then Olivia Bell hit a two-run homer to cap off the inning with a 5-0 advantage.
 
Frostburg hit back in the bottom half, as freshman Sammy Magee and Nelson drew back-to-back walks, each moving up on a wild pitch. Junior Kylee Piconi drove both home with a smacked double into right-center, cutting the deficit down to three. Both sides combined for just three combined hits until the top of the sixth, where senior Ally Myers came on in relief. After a groundout to start the frame, she allowed a pair of singles either side of a walk to load the bases. By cleanly fielding a comebacker, she got the lead runner out at home before working a fly out to right to avoid any runs coming across.
 
Sophomore Sage Haller brought FSU closer with one swing of the bat, as she launched a ball into left-center to get within two. Graduate Laura Gilford then ripped a single up the middle while Magee and Nelson each were walked to lead the bases. On a caught fly ball to shallow center, Gilford tried to advance as the throw home got away from the catcher, however a quick recovery brought the inning-ending out at the plate. Myers worked a relatively clean seventh but the Bobcats couldn't manage any offense, giving WV State the 5-3 win.
 
Haller recorded a pair of hits in the effort while Piconi drove in two runs, as Myers threw two shutout innings in relief.
 
WVSU used some small ball to start game two with another early advantage against freshman Izzy Dietrich, getting a slow-rolling infield single, a stolen base, and back-to-back groundouts that advanced the runner each time before coming home. Frostburg got a much quicker response in their at-bats, as Piconi drew a four-pitch walk before an error at second base allowed her to move up to third, as she scored on an RBI groundout from Donaldson.
 
Hitting back in the second, the Yellow Jackets worked a pair of one-out singles to put runners on the corners, as a fielder's choice gave them back the lead at 2-1. Haller roped a double into right-center to lead off the second, as she was able to move up to third on an error off the bat of senior Olivia Stetler. Freshman Ryann Durnall chopped a ball to first and showcased her speed by beating out the play for an infield hit, scoring Haller and moving Stetler to third. Durnall then stole second, as Nelson reached on another error to score Stetler before Piconi had an RBI groundout to take a 4-2 lead.
 
With one out in the top of the third, WV State was hit by a pitch, then as Durnall dove for a ball in right, it kicked away, allowing the runner to score and the hitter to get all the way to third. Dietrich worked a shallow drive to left that wasn't deep enough for a sac fly before getting the next batter to go down swinging to escape with a lead still intact. In the bottom half, Donaldson drew a lead-off walk, as Myers laid down a sac bunt to move her up. After moving up on a wild pitch, Donaldson came in on a knock up the middle from Haller, as Stetler then reached on a fielder's choice. Magee took a pitch the other way to put runners on the corners, then she and Stetler executed a perfectly executed steal-and-score to grow the lead out to 6-3.
 
Working around a lead-off single, Dietrich threw the first scoreless frame of the day for either side in the fourth, as FSU also went down without a run. WVSU got their bats going again in the fifth, leading off with a double and single before a passed ball brought them within two. Dietrich avoided further damage with a grounder to Haller and a liner caught by Miller, then with what appeared to be a surefire double into the left-center gap, Nelson made a diving catch to secure the final out and keep Frostburg ahead 6-4.
 
With the Bobcats going down in order, Dietrich worked a much-needed 1-2-3 sixth, needing just six pitches to set the side down. FSU gave her an insurance run in the bottom half, as Magee and Durnall worked back-to-back singles, as Nelson moved them up on a sac bunt and a wild pitch put the score at 7-4. Down to their final at-bats, the Yellow Jackets hit a ball right at Haller for the first out, then after an infield single, the Frostburg shortstop thought she had ended the game after grabbing a liner and firing to first, however the umpires determined that Donaldson's foot came off the bag, keeping the game alive. Sydney Shamblin stepped in for the visitors and made things extremely nervy for the home crowd, getting hold of a ball just over the center-field fence to suddenly bring the tying run to the plate. On a sharp liner into left, Miller kept her nerve and made the catch to seal the 7-6 victory.
 
Haller, Magee, and Durnall all turned in mult-hit performances, as Dietrich threw the complete game to earn her 14^th win of the season.
 
With the split, Frostburg is now 34-12 on the year, while WV State moves to 24-26. In earning the 34 wins, FSU set a program record for victories in a single season. The Bobcats will next host their regular season finale on Sunday, May 3 against Charleston (WV) beginning at 1 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.