Early Game Two Offense Leads Softball to Home Split with WVWC

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Softball team split their Tuesday doubleheader with West Virginia Wesleyan, losing game one 4-3 before picking up an 11-7 victory in game two.
 
WVWC kicked off the series with a walk and five consecutive singles that combined to plate four runs all in the top of the first. FSU tried to respond with back-to-back singles from senior Hanna Binek and junior Arden Miller, but an out on the basepaths and a fly ball to right ended the frame without a run. Having recovered from the first inning, senior Katie Chapple was able to hold Wesleyan's offense quiet through the top of the third. During the bottom half of the inning, senior Cristina Sommerkamp led off with a double ripped the other way, immediately coming in to score as freshman Sage Haller launched her first career homer into left field to make it a 4-2 game.
 
Each side went down quietly in the fourth, then Sommerkamp came up with a great defensive play to sit Wesleyan down in the fifth, as with two runners on, she fielded a grounder, tagged the runner trying to go to third while getting a force out at second to end the threat. After another scoreless inning, Miller lined a double down the left field line to start the sixth. A fly out and pop out put another scoreless inning on the table, but junior pinch hitter Ashlynn Routzahn blasted a double to the gap in left-center that brought Miller home for a one-run 4-3 contest.
 
Frostburg was able to work around a pair of errors in the top of the seventh, as a Sommerkamp walk and WVWC error put the winning run on the basepaths. The comeback bid would fall just short, however, as back-to-back strikeouts left the runners stranded and gave Wesleyan the victory.
 
It seemed as if WVWC was again poised to take an early lead in game two following an error and a single with one out, but junior Ally Myers got an important strikeout followed by a fielder's choice to end the inning. With just one baserunner between the teams in the next inning, junior Olivia Stetler got things going for FSU in the bottom of the second. Routzahn followed with a walk, being replaced by freshman pinch runner Ava Fair, as Sommerkamp moved the runners up on a sac bunt. A strikeout looking put Frostburg to their final out, as it seemed Wesleyan would get out of the inning, but a mishandled pop-up by the pitcher allowed Fair to score and Routzahn to get to third. Myers helped her own cause with an RBI single, then Miller brought home another pair of runs on a triple into center for a 4-0 lead.
 
A one-out walk and double got WVWC on the board in the third, but Myers worked a strikeout and groundout to limit the damage to a single run. She was helped out once again by the offense in the bottom half, as senior Samara Funk lined a double just past third base, then being allowed to score on a Wesleyan error. Routzahn, Sommerkamp, and Haller all worked patient at-bats for three consecutive walks to load the bases, as freshman Zoey Marinello brought a pair home on a single the other way. Myers tacked on an RBI groundout, then sophomore Morgan Gross came up with her first career hit and RBI into left, bringing in freshman pinch runner Lauren Homa on the play to make it a 9-1 advantage.
 
Myers worked around a lead-off single and walk to start the fourth thanks in part to a heads-up double play from Haller. Funk doubled to center in the bottom half, while Routzahn and Sommerkamp each walked to load the bases, but a strikeout and fly out left them on. WVWC put each of their first three batters on in the top of the fifth, as freshman Izabella Donaldson came on in relief at the circle. A trio of singles brought three runs home, but Stetler gunned down a runner trying to steal second and Marinello fielded a clean grounder at second to end the frame still up 9-5.
 
Miller worked a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, stealing second and getting to third after a groundout, as Funk brought her home on a knock the other way. After Stetler reached via an error, a throw that pulled the first baseman off the bag allowed Binek to reach and Funk to score for an 11-5 lead. Without much offense in the sixth, WVWC attempted to stage a comeback in the seventh with three walks out of the first four batters. A single into left brought one run home, then FSU traded an out for a run with a grounder to short. Donaldson was able to settle the nerves, as Sommerkamp made an easy flip to Marinello on another ground ball to preserve the 11-7 win.
 
Miller helped lead the offense with three hits and a pair of RBI across both games, while Funk went 3-of-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored in the second game and Haller tacked on a pair of hits and RBI.
 
With the split, Frostburg moves to 6-14 on the year, while Wesleyan is now 6-18. FSU returns home on Saturday, March 22 to face Salem (WV) for another doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.