Fifth Inning Rallies Help Baseball to Complete Full Sweep of Wheeling

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Baseball team used their strength all around the field to conclude their four-game sweep of Wheeling on Monday with scores of 17-8 and 9-0. 
 
Senior Jacob McDonald started things from the mound for Frostburg, throwing a three-up three-down inning in his first appearance on the bump.  The Bobcats saw a 1-2-3 go-around as well in their first look at offense, grounding into a double-play to end the inning.  McDonald once again faced the minimum in the second, as FSU started their rally in the bottom half of the inning.  Sophomore Ryan Bouma recorded the first hit of the game with a single to left field, as junior Jake Holler moved to second after reaching on a fielder's choice.  Junior Kade Abrisz knocked an RBI single to left to score Holler, while redshirt freshman CJ Carmichael put the ball in play and moved all the way to second after a Wheeling error, with Bouma crossing home plate during the process.  Sophomore Jackson Schalick was then credited with a sacrifice fly, as a double steal led to Carmichael scoring for a 4-0 game heading into the third. 
 
McDonald continued to deal in the third, striking out two to see another 1-2-3 outing.  Holler got on board in the bottom of the inning off a single to center, while Bouma drew a walk to put a pair on for FSU.  Abrisz then sent another RBI single to the outfield to score Holler, while Carmichael was then walked to load the bases, as sophomore Brian Scott was given an RBI off a fielder's choice to bring in Bouma for a 6-0 score. 
 
The Cardinals found their first hit of the contest in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs off two hits to bring the game to 6-2.  The Bobcats were quiet at the plate in the bottom of the inning, while McDonald racked up two more K's in the start of the fifth, and Abrisz threw down to Bouma at second to catch a runner stealing.  That brought back the energy for Frostburg, as FSU sparked for a 10-run fifth inning.  Abrisz roped a double to continue his perfect day at the plate, while both Scott and Schalick were hit by a pitch to bring in two runs for Frostburg, as redshirt junior Ben Wieman drew an RBI walk to put the game at 9-2.  Sophomore Logan Helser then knocked a two-RBI single, before Bouma earned an RBI single as well.  Still with the bases loaded, junior Kody Abrisz came into pitch hit, belting a grand slam over the left field fence to bring the score to 16-2 after five. 
 
Graduate Dan Morgano came in to throw in the sixth, as well as senior Ryan Adams, as WU put two more runs on the board to move the score to 16-4.  Helser sent out a solo shot in the bottom of the inning to cap off FSU's 17-run day, as a trio of pitchers for the Bobcats rounded out the seventh inning with a final score of 17-8 in game one. 
 
Senior Patrick Bauer threw a perfect first inning to kick off game two, getting all three batters to go down swinging.  On the first pitch of game two from Wheeling, Schalick rocketed the ball out of the ballpark for a solo shot to put the Bobcats on the board 1-0 to start.  WU was able to send out a single in the second, but Bauer fanned two more batters to leave the Cardinal stranded.  Both teams traded 1-2-3 outings in the third, with Bauer adding another duo of K's to his total. 
 
Senior Doyle McNew connected with a bomb over the right field fence for another solo shot for FSU, sitting the game at 2-0 after three.  Bauer left two more on for Wheeling in the top half of the fourth, continuing his strikeout streak by seeing another K.  The Bobcats went three-up three-down in their offensive chances of the fourth, as the Cardinals fought for two singles in the start of the fifth.  Bauer was able to get out of a jam, leaving both runners on for WU, recording back-to-back strikeouts to keep the game at 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth. 
 
FSU rallied again in the fifth inning, scoring seven runs off four hits.  Graduate Randy Steen and McNew each received a single, with both runners crossing home plate on back-to-back walks from Bouma and Holler.  Wieman then ripped a two-RBI single to left to score two more, as Holler sprinted home off a passed ball.  Batting again in the inning, Steen sent a two-RBI double out to right center to push the game to 9-0 after five. 
 
Bauer added his final K of the day in the top of the sixth, rounding out his final inning with another 1-2-3 showing.  Senior Mikey Guy recorded the final hit of the day for FSU, as senior Cael Huyer coughed up three quick outs on the mound to finish off the game in the seventh with a 9-0 shutout win for Frostburg. 
 
Kade Abrisz and McNew led the offensive effort for FSU with three hits each, combining for four runs and three RBI.  Kody Abrisz finished with a team-high four RBI off his grand slam, while Helser and Schalick recorded three RBI each.  Bouma scored a team-high five runs, while Holler was next with four.  McDonald picked up his fourth win of the season in game one, giving up just three hits, two runs, and one walk in five innings, while collecting five strikeouts.  Bauer did most of the work for the shutout in game two, seeing his seventh win of the season after tossing six innings and giving up just five hits along with no runs, no walks, and 11 K's. 
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 27-8 on the season, while Wheeling drops to 9-24.  The Bobcats remain at home for their next contest, welcoming in MEC North Division rival Point Park for a two-day four-game series starting on Friday, April 18 at 1 PM.  For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.