Albright Launches Pair of Homers to Help Push Softball's Win Streak to 11

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Softball team pushed their winning streak into double digits with a home sweep of Salem (WV) by scores of 8-0 and 4-3.
 
SU put their first runner aboard off of senior starter Jamie Roberts, but she was able to catch an attempted bunt and throw the runner out at first, followed by a line-out that quickly ended the Tigers' offensive half. Both sides proceeded to go down in order, with Roberts earning a pair of strikeouts going to the bottom of the second.
 
As Salem had done in the first, FSU led off with a single but a double play on a pop-up bunt took momentum away. Junior Hanna Binek lined a double into the gap in left-center in attempt to salvage something from the inning, but a grounder to short ended the frame still scoreless. In the third, Roberts was able to work out of a jam, with SU getting a pair of one-out hits, but a pair of groundouts were enough to keep runs off the board.
 
The Bobcats finally broke the scoring drought in the bottom of the third, as junior Samara Funk singled up the middle, stole second, and reached third on a grounder to second, eventually being brought home on a double off the right field fence by Roberts for a 1-0 lead. The Tigers left another pair of runners on base in the fourth, unable to capitalize on a walk and infield single.
 
In the bottom half, Frostburg took complete control of the game with six runs in the frame. Junior Cristina Sommerkamp began the inning with a single into left, followed by a walk from Binek, with both coming home on a shot over the fence in left-center off the bat of senior Ryann Darling for a 4-0 lead. With one out on the board, junior Allyssa Albright stepped up and put her own charge into a pitch she liked, hitting a solo shot into left. Funk laced another knock to the outfield and stole second, moving to third on a hit by sophomore Gracie Nelson, who reached second on the throw. Roberts lofted a ball into center, driving it deep enough to score Funk on a sac fly, then Miller was able to run out an infield single that Nelson scored from to complete the inning up 7-0.
 
Roberts continued to limit the Tiger offense, keeping them to just two hits across the fifth and sixth innings combined, as she then helped her own cause with a single into left with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Miller reached first on a fielder's choice, then stole second and was able to race home on a single into center from Sommerkamp, ending game one by mercy rule 8-0.
 
A whopping five Bobcats recorded multi-hit games, as Darling and Roberts were the driving force with a combined five RBI. The latter worked a complete game on the mound, allowing just six hits across six innings with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Taking the start in the second game, senior Sydney Theobald sat Salem down in order to begin the first, as she was given an early lead to work with in the bottom half. Funk lined a ball up the middle to start, moving to second on a sac from Nelson and third on a grounder by Roberts before being driven in on a ball sent back where it came from off Miller's bat for a 1-0 advantage.
 
The lead wouldn't last nearly as long this time around, as SU worked a one-out double and walk, followed by back-to-back singles that plated three runs for their first lead of the day at 3-1. FSU was unable to answer back in the second, as each side stranded runners in the third and Theobald got three Salem groundouts in the fourth to bring her team back up to bat. With two outs on the board, senior Ava Gnibus battled her way to a walk on a 3-2 count, then Albright sent her second homer of the day out to left center to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Theobald was responsible for all three outs in the fifth, fielding a pair of comebackers right at her, as well as earning her third and final strikeout. Frostburg couldn't manage anything in the bottom half, as another three Tiger grounders stranded a runner at second in the sixth.
 
Searching for the go-ahead run in the bottom half, sophomore Olivia Stetler belted a ball into the gap in left-center for a double, as freshman Katie Healy came in to pinch-run for her. Senior Brianna Munday came up clutch, looping a ball into right field that scored Healy from second to give the Bobcats a 4-3 lead. In relatively comfortable fashion, Theobald sat SU down in order in the top of the seventh, sealing the comeback victory for FSU.
 
Stetler was the only Frostburg player to record multiple hits in the second game, as Miller, Munday, and Albright provided the run-scoring offense. Theobald earned her 10^th win of the year in the circle, tossing the full seven innings with six hits allowed and three strikeouts.
 
With the sweep, the Bobcats improve to 20-11 on the year, while Salem falls to 8-22. FSU returns to the road on Wednesday, April 10 for a non-conference doubleheader against Shippensburg at 2 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.