FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State baseball team split a doubleheader with West Virginia State Sunday afternoon, losing the first game 7-3 and winning the second 7-1. 
 
The Bobcats sent senior Jacob McDonald to the mound in game one, working around a pair of singles to leave two Yellow Jackets stranded on base with an inning-ending strikeout. The Bobcats would strike for an early lead in the bottom half, as sophomore Jackson Schalick drew a lead-off walk followed by a double to right by senior Doyle McNew. Senior Mikey Guy brought Schalick home on an RBI groundout, but WVSU was able to limit the damage with an inning-ending double play. McDonald worked three straight fly balls into the outfield in the second to immediately bring the Bobcats back to bat. Senior Randy Steen was hit by a pitch to start things off before getting to third on an error. Sophomore Logan Helser then drew a walk, as junior Kade Abrisz laid down a bunt to get Steen home and Helser to second. Another bunt from redshirt freshman CJ Carmichael moved the runners up, as Helser would be knocked in by a Schalick single for a 3-0 advantage. 

They Yellow Jackets would respond in the next inning, working some two-out magic with three hits bringing home a pair of runs. Both teams went quietly in their next at-bats, with FSU threatening in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded, but a force-out at home and double play kept them from adding to their advantage. WVSU made them pay in the top of the fifth, as an error allowed the leadoff batter to reach, then a single and two-run homer put the visitors ahead 5-3. Frostburg had another inning-ending double play keep them off the board, as the Yellow Jackets would extend the lead to 7-3 adding two more runs in the sixth. Frostburg had one last chance to keep the game alive in the seventh, with Schalick and McNew both earning a base on balls, but a strikeout and 643 GDP ended the game with the four-run West Virginia State win. 

FSU started senior Patrick Bauer in game two, as the tall righty started the game off strong with three quick outs, two of them by strikeouts. Frostburg gave their starter an early 2-0 lead, as Schalick and McNew continued their patience at the plate with lead-off walks. Yet another double play threatened to end the frame quickly, but sophomore Ryan Bouma ran out an infield single to score Schalick, while redshirt junior Ben Wieman followed with another walk, as Steen lined a single up the middle to plate Bouma. Bauer twirled his way through the first four innings, not allowing a single baserunner while racking up a further four strikeouts 

The Bobcats gave him some insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth, beginning with a Steen walk and a Yellow Jacket error that put Helser on base. Carmichael doubled into right to put a pair of runners in scoring position, with sophomore Brian Scott bringing Helser in off an RBI knock. Schalick then gave himself up on a bunt to plate Carmichael, with McNew then belting a double to left-center and Guy going up the middle to put two more runs across for a 6-0 lead. 

The perfect game bid for Bauer ended in the fifth inning with the leadoff batter getting a hit, with another single and sacrifice scraping a run across for a 6-1 game. Bauer exacted some revenge in the top of the sixth, getting all three batters to whiff for a 1-2-3 frame. Carmichael began the bottom half with an infield single and stole second, as Schalick singled to left to bring him in for a six-run advantage. Not needing to delve into the bullpen, Bauer polished off his complete-game gem with a foul out, lineout, and, fittingly, a strikeout swinging for the 7-1 victory. 

Schalick, McNew, Abrisz and Carmichael all recorded multiple hits on the day, racking up five RBI between the quartet. Bauer's final line in the second game read all seven innings pitched, allowing just two hits with a whopping 11 K's. 
 
With the split FSU is now 13-7 while the Yellow Jackets move to 9-12 on the season. Frostburg is scheduled to play Pitt-Johnstown next at Bob Wells Field on Wednesday, March 26 at 3 PM. For more information visit frostburgsports.com.