FROSTBURG, Md. – In the lead up to the Mountain East Tournament, the Yellow Jacket softball team lost the first game against the Frostburg State Bobcats, but took the second in a series that featured 47 base hits and 28 runs scored between the two teams.
POST-GAME RECORDS
WVSU: 21-23, 18-14 MEC
Frostburg State: 27-16, 22-10 MEC
GAME 1: Frostburg State 6, WVSU 4
The Yellow Jackets got out to an early lead in the second inning. Tori Lambert reached first base on a fielding error by the shortstop. Kasey Murphy then got a single to right field, but Lambert was erased when she was caught off second on the relay throw. Emma Ruth then blasted a double, sending Murphy to third base. Murphy scored on the next at bat when Abby Loyd hit an RBI single. In all, the Jackets got three hits, but only managed to scrape across one run.
State put another run on the scoreboard in the following inning. Hannah Wilson singled then stole second base. An Autumn Thompson ground-out moved Wilson to third and she scored when Paige Scruggs grounded out to shortstop.
The fourth inning was all Frostburg State needed to put the game away, plating six runs and chasing Emilee Walker.
State plated two more runs in the fifth, an RBI single for Scruggs scored Kerigan Moore and an RBI single for Murphy plated Scruggs.
Scruggs, Murphy, and Ruth all had two hits. Scruggs also had two RBIs and a run. Murphy added an RBI and another run. Walker sent one Bobcat hitter back on strikes in her 3 ⅓ innings pitched. Megan Shoemaker came into the game in relief and added another strike out in 2 ⅔ innings. Both pitchers surrendered three runs each.
GAME 2: WVSU 12, Frostburg State 6
The Jackets came back with a fury in game one, scoring practically at-will. Hannah Wilson got a lead-off single in the first inning, then stole second. Next at-bat, Thompson singled, moving Wilson to third, then scored when Thompson stole second and the throw-back to home was mishandled by the catcher. Scruggs then hit a two-run blast to clear the bags. Mendoza sacrifice flied in Murphy to wrap up the inning's scoring.
Frostburg State got one run back in the bottom of the inning and another in the bottom of the third.
In the top of the fourth inning, Autumn Thompson singled to right field, moving Wilson to third and scoring Mendoza. Scruggs followed it up with a single of her own, scoring Wilson, but losing Thompson at second, pushing the score to 6-2.
The top of the fifth inning was lead off with a Murphy lead-off single. She eventually scored on an Emily Moore single of her own into center field. Chelsea Thompson entered the game as a pinch runner for E. Moore and scored on a passed ball, bumping the State lead to 8-2.
The Bobcats got those two runs back in the bottom of the inning.
State was determined to get the split, making their case even more stout with a further four more runs. Addi Dillow hit an RBI single that scored Ruth and Moore scored when Dillow stole second and the second baseman mishandled the throw down. Thompson then smacked a bases-clearing double to center field, scoring Wilson and Dillow to wrap up the scoring for WVSU and give the Jackets the 12-4 lead.
Two more runs for the Bobcats completed the scoring.
Kasey Murphy got her 10th win on the season, whiffing seven hitters.
Hannah Wilson went 2-for-3 with three runs. Thompson and Scruggs both went 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs and a run each.
UP NEXT
WVSU awaits final seedings before the Mountain East Conference tournament starts on May 6, at the James I. Hoyer Complex in Salem, Va.
