Shippensburg Snaps Softball's Winning Streak in Wednesday Sweep

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Frostburg State Softball team lost their road doubleheader to Shippensburg on Wednesday afternoon, falling by scores of 9-5 and 4-0 to bring an end to their 11-game winning streak.

Senior Jamie Roberts threw from the circle in game one for Frostburg, as Shippensburg ripped two quick hits in their first at-bats, taking a 1-0 lead after the first. FSU struggled to put anything together offensively in their first two appearances at the plate, as the Raiders knocked two more hits in the bottom of the second to advance their lead to 2-0. Senior Ava Gnibus recorded the first hit of the day for the Bobcats, collecting a leadoff single up the middle to kick off the third inning. Junior Samara Funk then singled to third, advancing Gnibus to second, as both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Gracie Nelson. With two outs, Roberts smacked a bases clearing double to center field, sending both Gnibus and Funk home to tie things up at 2-2.

SU didn't leave the game tied for very long, knotting a solo homer to right center to start the third. Roberts then sat the next three batters down in order, picking up her second strikeout of the game. Frostburg put two runners on base in the top half of the fourth but were unable to capitalize, while Shippensburg's offense exploded in their look at offense in the fourth, belting five hits for four runs to extend their lead to 7-2 heading into the fifth inning.

Nelson led the fifth of with a single, advancing to second on a wild pitch, but the Bobcats couldn't advance further, leaving her on base. Roberts struck out the first batter for the Raiders in the bottom half of the inning, before SU knocked three more hits, tacking on two more runs to their lead. Sophomore Ally Myers then came into pitch, getting two outs to end the inning with Shippensburg up 9-2.

Senior Ryann Darling knotted the first hit of the sixth, sending a double to left center. Gnibus then grounded out, sending Darling to third, as junior Allyssa Albright and Funk drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, with freshman Katie Healy coming in to pinch run for Albright. Sophomore Ashlynn Routzahn then came in to pinch hit, smacking a double to left center to clear the bases, scoring Darling, Healy, and Funk to bring the game to 9-5. Meyers had a 1-2-3 inning from the circle in the bottom half of the sixth, as junior Hanna Binek got on board in FSU's last chance at-bats, roping a single to center field, but was left on base as the Bobcats dropped game one 9-5.

Funk recorded the first hit of game two with a leadoff double to right center to start the game, as senior Sydney Theobald got the start from the mound for Frostburg facing the minimum of three batters her first time out. The Bobcats saw a quick offensive outing in the top of the second, as Theobald gave up two hits in the bottom half of the inning, but stranded both Raiders on base. FSU put two runners on in the top half of the third, with Nelson getting aboard with a single, but were unable to get anything out of it. SU was able to showcase their offense in their at-bats of the inning, collecting four hits to jump in front 3-0 after three.

Sophomore Olivia Stetler reached base in the fourth off a single up the middle, as Gnibus was walked to put two on for the Bobcats, but both were left on base. Shippensburg was able to tack on one more run to their lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Frostburg coughed up two errors. FSU was quiet at the plate in the top of the fifth as senior Kate Chapple, who came in to pitch midway through the third, gave up a hit to SU in the bottom half of the inning, but left two runners on base.

Chapple stranded two Raiders on base once again in the bottom half of the sixth, as Frostburg recorded two hits in the top of the seventh, with Gnibus and Myers both knotting singles, but FSU was unable to push for any runs, dropping the second game with a final of 4-0.

Funk, Nelson, and Gnibus all knotted a pair of hits on the day, as Funk scored two runs and Gnibus scored one. Six other Bobcats recorded a hit on the day, as Routzahn went for a team-high three RBI in game one and Roberts went for two. With the start in game two, Theobald set a new program record with 80 career starts, surpassing former standout Allison Short's 79 from 2015-18.

With the losses, Frostburg goes to 20-13 on the season, while Shippensburg improves to 25-9. The Bobcats remain on the road as they travel to face Concord in an MEC doubleheader beginning at 1 PM on Saturday, April 13. For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.