Stunning Game 1 Comeback Highlights Baseball Split With Cardinals

WHEELING, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Baseball team secured a 7-5 comeback before falling in a close 3-2 contest in their Monday road split with Wheeling.
 
Freshman Jackson Shalick led the first game off with a walk, but was thrown out at first after WU made a catch on an attempted sacrifice bunt to end the half frame scoreless. On the mound, senior Max Proctor worked swiftly through the top of the Cardinals' lineup, earning a pair of strikeouts and a fly-out to set the side down in order.
 
FSU found their offensive groove in the second inning, as freshman Ryan Bouma and junior Danny Estrada laced back-to-back singles to start things off, then both moved up on a wild pitch. Freshman Logan Helser brought Bouma home on a lined sac fly to center, then with two outs on the board, senior Lucas Gulczynski ripped a single through the left side that scored Estrada for a 2-0 lead.
 
Proctor remained efficient through Wheeling's offensive half, with a pair of grounders and a liner caught at short by junior Ben Wieman leaving the hosts still searching for their first baserunner. Junior Randy Steen began the third by getting a knock into right field, moved to second on a sac bunt and stole third, but was left stranded after back-to-back strikeouts.
 
WU finally got their first hit with one out in the third, but Proctor quickly got a fielder's choice and liner to third that ended the frame still without a run allowed. FSU was shut out in the top of the fourth, leaving a pair of runners on after a single and hit by pitch. With two swings of the bat, the Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the inning, using a lead-off double and two-run home run to bring things even at 2-2.
 
Neither team produced any offense in the fifth, then Frostburg stranded another two runners in the sixth, unable to capitalize with men in scoring position. Wheeling made FSU pay, working the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Nate Vermillion came in to try and limit the damage, getting the first and last batters he saw to strike out on 3-2 pitches, but giving up a walk and a sac fly to put WU ahead 4-2.
 
Down to their final three outs, the Bobcats stormed back in the top of the seventh, plating five runs in the inning to stun the home crowd. Shalick began the frame by being hit by a pitch before moving to second on a wild pitch and third on a single to left by Steen. Junior Mikey Guy stepped in and bounced a ball to third that couldn't be handled, allowing him to reach and Shalick to score to pull within a run. Both runners stole bases, as with first open, freshman Ryan Bouma was intentionally walked to bring a force out to every base. The strategy worked on the first batter, as Steen was thrown out at home, but the bases remained jacked for Helser to lift another ball out to center, bringing Guy home on another sac fly that tied the game. Junior Christian Shertzer kept the rally going, sprinting out an infield single that scored Bouma before stealing second and eventually scoring as the ball was thrown all the way into the outfield, giving FSU a 7-4 lead.
 
Wheeling would not be deterred by giving up their lead, as they quickly loaded the bases with three straight hits and no outs in their half of the seventh. Senior Ben Vok was brought in to try and see the game out, but walked the first batter he saw on four pitches. On the next batter, he recovered immensely, getting a line out to Helser at first, who was able to touch the bag for a double play. Shutting the Cardinal momentum down entirely, Vok got the final batter to strike out looking to leave two runners in scoring position and earn Frostburg the 7-5 win.
 
Steen led the offense with three hits in the game, with Guy, Helser, Shertzer, and Gulczynski responsible for driving in the runs. Vermillion picked up his fourth win of the year, while Vok earned his second save, as the pair combined for three strikeouts in their two innings of work.
 
Game two began with Schalick and Steen putting back-to-back singles into left, but a double play on a line out meant that the inning would end without a score. Freshman Jack Ray, making his first career start, worked a 1-2-3 bottom half to move into the second. Neither team managed much offense in the next two innings, which changed when Bouma mashed a ball into left center for a 1-0 advantage. Helser followed up with a double and Wieman ran out an infield single, however the Cardinals were able to get out of further damage with a pop out, ground out, and strikeout.
 
Ray ran into trouble in the fourth after getting a liner to third that started the inning, allowing a pair of walks and singles that scored two Wheeling runs, bringing graduate Daniel Morgano into the game. He was able to get two groundouts, but the first brought another run across as WU made it a 3-1 ballgame going to the fifth.
 
FSU pulled within one thanks to some two-out magic, as Estrada lined a double into left, being brought around on an RBI knock from Bouma to bring things to 3-2. Junior Todd Murphy and freshman Evan Biddle tossed a pair of scoreless innings out of the bullpen, keeping Frostburg in the game going into their final chance at the plate. Steen reached with one out on an infield single, then stole second before Estrada was intentionally walked after a strikeout. Each moved up a base on a wild pitch, but a fly out to center ended the game with the runners stranded, as the Cardinals pulled out the one-run win.
 
Steen, Estrada, Helser, and Bouma each had multi-hit games, with the latter driving in both Bobcat runs. Morgano, Muphy, and Biddle combined to allow just one hit across 2.2 innings pitched.
 
With the split, Frostburg moves to 24-9 on the year, while Wheeling is now 19-16. Capping a busy start to the week, FSU plays for the third straight day on Tuesday, April 16 as they return home to face Wilmington (Del.) at 4 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.