Softball's Rally in Game Two Not Enough to Overcome Midweek Sweep to Raiders

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Frostburg State Softball team dropped their midweek doubleheader to Shippensburg on Wednesday by final scores of 12-5 and 6-5. 
 
Senior Laura Gilford became the first base runner of the day for either team, drawing a game opening walk but was left on base.  Freshman Izabella Donaldson got the start for Frostburg in the circle for game one, as Shippensburg wasted no time to swat out three hits for a 4-0 lead.  FSU saw a quiet at-bat in the second, as the Raiders continued to roll, knocking two hits for another run, as Donaldson left two on base to keep the score 5-0 after two. 
 
Freshman Sage Haller ripped the Bobcats' first hit of the day with a single to center to open up the third.  Gilford then drew another walk, as both runners were stranded on base.  SU continued to put runs on the board, jumping out in front 6-0 after the third inning.  Freshman Zoey Marinello saw a hit for Frostburg in the fourth, as Donaldson kept Shippensburg quiet in the bottom of the inning, stranding one Raider on base. 
 
Gilford started the fifth with a single, advancing to second after junior Gracie Nelson got on board due to an error by SU.  Junior Arden Miller grounded out, advancing Gilford and Nelson up a base, as a two-RBI single to right from senior Hanna Binek put FSU on the board at 6-2.  Marinello then belted a three-run bomb over the center field fence, bringing the score to 6-5 heading into the bottom of the fifth. 
 
Donaldson got out of the bottom half of the inning with no runs and leaving three on for SU, keeping the Bobcats within one.  Frostburg was unable to get anything going in the top of the sixth, leaving two more Bobcats on, as Shippensburg opened up the game once again, seeing six runs off of six hits to jump ahead 12-5.  Donaldson wrapped up the inning stranding two more runners on base for the Raiders, as FSU wasn't able to add anything to their score in  their last at-bats, falling 12-5 in game one. 
 
Gilford started off game two with a single up the middle, stealing second but stopped there.  Junior Ally Myers got the nod to pitch for Frostburg in game two, as Shippensburg kept their bats going in game two, ripping three hits for two runs to go up 2-0 after one.  Myers left two Raiders stranded to finish out the inning, before SU tacked on another run in their second look at offense for a 3-0 game. 
 
Both teams were quiet in their offensive looks of the third, with Myers throwing a 1-2-3 outing.  FSU got on the board in the top half of the fourth, when Miller belted a homer to right center to lead off the inning with a quick 3-1 score.  Again, Myers sat down Shippensburg, leaving another one on after giving up just one hit.  Both squads then saw a three-up three-down fifth inning, before the Bobcats jumped in front 5-3 in the sixth.  With two outs, junior Olivia Stetler started the rally with a single, advancing to second on another single from Binek.  Marinello then walked to load the bases, with Haller coming in to pinch run, setting up junior Ashlyn Routzahn for a two-RBI double to left to tie the game at 3-3.  Senior Cristina Sommerkamp pinch ran for Routzahn, as both her and Haller crossed home plane on a two-RBI single from Myers to give the Bobcats a 5-3 edge heading into the bottom of the sixth. 
 
The Raiders worked quickly, capitalizing on a bases loaded situation, taking their lead right back with a 6-5 score.  FSU was unable to pick their momentum back up, seeing a three-up three-down situation in their final at-bats to drop the game 6-5. 
 
Binek, Stelter, Gilford, and Marinello all recorded a pair of hits on the day, as Binek and Marinello combined for five RBI. 
 
With the loss, Frostburg drops to 4-12 on the season, while Shippensburg improves to 8-4.  The Bobcats are back in action on Saturday, March 15, when they welcome Davis & Elkins to the field at 12 PM for their first MEC contest of the season.  For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.