Bats, Strong Pitching Lead Baseball to 18-Run Win Over Senators

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Baseball team completed their series sweep of Davis & Elkins with a commanding 19-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon.
 
After the series began with an 8-1 Bobcat victory on Sunday, heavy rain forced a postponement of game two in addition to a location change to Mylan Park.
 
With the day off between games, FSU still came ready to play to start the game, as sophomore Jackson Schalick led off with a walk and got to third after a single by freshman Manny Hall. Senior Mikey Guy lofted a ball into center that was deep enough to score Schalick on a sac fly, giving Frostburg an early lead. Hall then stole second and senior Doyle McNew drew another walk, but a 3-6 double play ended the frame with no further damage. The Senators were able to match in the bottom of the first, as a pair of singles either side of a strikeout put runners at the corners, with another sac fly tying things at 1-1.
 
Two quick outs made it seem as though things would continue tied, however sophomore Logan Helser poked a ball through the right side and junior Kody Abrisz looped a ball into left-center to put a pair of runners in scoring position after an error in the outfield. Schalick stepped up and grounded a ball just past the third baseman to score both runners. Hall followed up with a two-run no-doubter over the right field fence, then Guy ripped a knock and stole second, scoring on a McNew liner for a 6-1 lead.
 
Having gotten into a bit of trouble to start the game, senior Pat Bauer locked in on the mound after an infield single in the second, striking out two of the next three batters to keep D&E to their one run. Helser and Abrisz again made their presence felt in the third, the former lacing a double to left and the latter getting a single to put runners on the corners. Each moved up, with Helser scoring, on a wild pitch, then Schalick reached on another error before stealing second. Hall picked up another RBI on a sac fly to left, while Guy plated Schalick with a knock through the left side with the lead now at 9-1.
 
Bauer again limited the Davis & Elkins bats in the bottom half, once more working out of an infield single as the only baserunner. For the first time in the game, neither team scored in the fourth, as Bauer set D&E down in order in his last inning of work. A Schalick walk was all the Bobcats could manage in the fourth, while freshman Mike Hemelt, Jr. continued the scoreless streak on the mound with three straight groundouts. McNew led the sixth off with a single into center, as junior Jake Holler and redshirt junior Ben Wieman drew a pair of walks to load the bases. Helser stepped up with his third hit of the day, bringing home two more runs to go up 11-1.
 
Freshman Kamden Sowers had a little traffic on the basepaths to start the bottom of the sixth, but he was able to get a strikeout, fly out, and groundout to hold down the scoreless frame. Not letting up on offense, FSU plated another eight runs in the top of the seventh while getting several players involved in the fun. Sophomore Cole Carter began things with an infield single, with Hall following suit and freshman Zane Bohn working a walk to load the bases. McNew reached on another hit that didn't reach the outfield to plate a run, as sophomore Brian Scott and Wieman both notched sac flies for a 14-1 game. Helser got hit by a pitch before Abrisz lined a ball the other way for the fourth run of the frame. Then, as the lineup turned back over to Carter, he put his barrel on a low breaking ball, smacking a grand slam to left-center for a 19-1 score. Graduate Todd Murphy came on to close out the game in impressive fashion, striking out all three batters to complete the sweep.
 
Six different Bobcats recorded multi-hit games, as Hall, Helser, Abrisz, and McNew had three apiece while combining for eight RBI. Bauer tossed four innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts, as the bullpen combined for three shutout innings in relief.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 18-7 on the year, while Davis & Elkins drops to 3-22. FSU has a quick turnaround as they face Indiana (Pa.) on the road Wednesday, April 2 with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.