Baseball Outscores Senators by Combined 18 in Home Sweep

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Baseball Team swept Davis & Elkins in an MEC doubleheader on Thursday afternoon by scores of 8-2 and 13-1.

Junior Patrick Bauer started on the mound for the Bobcats and in the opening inning faced four batters, walking one and striking out two, while D&E pitcher Ethan Marshall forced FSU's top of the line-up into three fly outs for a scoreless first. The following three batters for the Senators were quickly sat down, with Bauer earning another strikeout on the day. The Bobcats got power under the ball seeing two runs on two hits in the bottom of the second. Junior Cy Probst singled with one out and advanced on a passed ball, followed by junior Ben Weiman being hit by a pitch. With runners on first and third, junior Christian Shertzer tripled to center field, plating both runners and going ahead 2-0.

The Senators earned two hits at the top of the third, but FSU defense and Bauer left two on thanks to a pop up and a liner caught by junior third baseman Ben Wieman. Freshman Jackson Schalick started the bottom half in the box, leading off with a single to center. Senior Ethan Kiple legged out an infield single, then junior Danny Estrada moved Schalick across home plate with a double to straightaway center for a 3-0 lead. Freshman Ryan Bouma stepped up with both runners in scoring position, as he put the ball in play and an error by D&E allowed him to reach and Kiple to go home. Probst pushed a smart sac bunt that advanced the runners, then Wieman was able to plate Estrada on a comebacker to end the frame up 5-0.

D&E saw a pop up, got caught stealing and struck out looking to put the Bobcats back up at bat in the fourth. Senior Justin Jimenez was patient at the plate and walked the line to first, then got into scoring position on a sac bunt from junior Randy Steen. A double from Schalick sent Jimenez to the plate, then to advance Schalick home and to go up 7-0, Kiple hit a hard ball and took second on an error. Bouma singled with two outs, scoring Kiple and allowing FSU to go up 8-0 to turn the inning over. Bauer, still on the bump, pitched two ground outs and earned another strike out as each side was scoreless in the fifth. 

An error to start the sixth put runners on the bases and two runs on the board for D&E, as sophomore Will Ricketts came from the bullpen to earn a strikeout and send FSU to bat. After the offense was sat down 1-2-3, freshman Cristian Bonilla closed the game for the Bobcats, sending two batters flying out and striking out the last batter for the 8-2 win.

Bauer picked up his third win of the year, tossing 5.2 innings with two runs allowed, neither earned, striking out a season-high eight batters. Shalick led the offense, reaching base three times on a pair of hits and a walk, with Bouma and Shertzer both driving in a pair of runs. 

Sophomore Joe Pippin got the nod in game two, putting away each of the first six batters he saw, putting FSU back up in the bottom of the second. Estrada was hit by a pitch then slide into third as Bouma struck a hard single through the left side. A Probst knock plated Estrada and put the Bobcats up 1-0. Pippin tossed another efficient frame in the third, then got a pair of key strikeouts to strand a pair of runners in the fourth.

Frostburg's bats woke up in the bottom half, as Bouma, Probst, Wieman, senior Stafford Allison, and junior Mikey Guy all made contact with the ball, advancing on another and eventually each running through home up 5-0. With two runners on, Kiple blasted the ball over the right field fence, sending everyone through to complete a seven-run inning for an 8-0 advantage.

Graduate Daniel Morgano entered in relief, earning a strikeout then sent D&E into two ground outs, fielding the second one himself for a scoreless fifth. The Bobcats added another in the bottom half, as Allison walked, stole second and advanced home from senior Nick Trey's single to go up by nine. Freshman Ben Berger stepped on the mound in the sixth and incurred some early trouble, with a pair of singles and an error loading the bases with no outs. The Bobcat southpaw recovered well, only allowing one run on a fielder's choice, working a strikeout and fly-out to end the frame up 9-1.

Frostburg got their final four runs in the sixth, as Guy and Estrada walked either side of a Helser single to load the bases. Two passed balls allowed for two runs, then a walk and pair of hit by pitches scored another. Shalick reached on an error at third, with the final run coming across home plate at a 13-1 score. Junior Ethan Grieb closed the contest out with a smooth 1-2-3 inning to seal the victory. 

Pippin tossed four innings of shutout ball, allowing just two hits while striking out three, to pick up his second win on the season. Bouma and Probst both enjoyed a multi-hit game, as Kiple's three-run shot paved the way in RBI. 

With the conclusion of the doubleheader, Frostburg moves to an overall record of 15-7 and a conference record of 8-2, while D&E falls to an overall record of 0-24. Frostburg is back at Bob Wells Field on Friday, March 29 as they take on West Virginia Wesleyan in an MEC doubleheader starting at 1pm. For more information visit frostburgsports.com.