Frostburg State beats West Liberty, 10-6, to avoid elimination
May 12—CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Frostburg State defeated West Liberty, 10-6, on Friday night to avoid elimination in the Mountain East Conference Tournament.
The Bobcats (32-19) fell to the loser's bracket with a 5-2 loss to Concord earlier in the day.
Against West Liberty, AJ Campbell slugged a home run and doubled for three RBIs and two runs scored. Ethan Kiple was 3 for 4 with two doubles and two runs batted in.
Randy Steen also hat a three-hit outing from the lead-off hole, and Stafford Allison went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. Trevor Jones also doubled.
The Bobcats played four runs in the first inning to jump ahead, and, after West Liberty cut its deficit to 4-2, Frostburg State scored five unanswered runs to lead 9-2.
West Liberty clawed to within three runs but couldn't make up the difference.
Joe Pippin was the winning pitcher, allowing five runs (four earned) in 5 1/3 innings of work. He struck out five and walked none.
Ben Vok tossed two scoreless innings to shut the door.
West Liberty starter Brady Harmon was dealt the loss after giving up four runs in his lone inning pitched.
Ryan Talbert and Brad Goodyear doubled for the Hilltoppers.
The game was played at the University of Charleston instead of GoMart Park due to a conflict with the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic League.
Earlier in the day against Concord, Jones put Frostburg State in front early with a two-run homer, but the Bobcats' bats went silent in a 5-2 loss.
The defeat snapped a seven-game Frostburg State winning streak.
Jones' big fly in the second inning gave Frostburg State a 2-1 lead; however, that'd be the last time it'd find the scoreboard. Concord retired 16 straight FSU batters before Jones tallied a single with two outs in the ninth.
A throwing error in the third inning tied the score, and Brendan Brady hit a go-ahead single to center field with two outs later in the frame.
Kyle Keenan tacked on an insurance run in the fifth with an RBI single, and he hit a solo shot in the seventh to make it 5-2. Josh Adkins hit a solo home run in the first inning for Concord's other score.
The relief duo of Andrew Neff and Rylee Nicholas held Frostburg State scoreless over the final 5 2/3 innings. Neff went 3 2/3, striking out six, and Nicholas recorded the six-out save.
Concord out-hit Frostburg State, 7-6. Jones was the only Bobcat with multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Max Proctor took the loss for FSU, surrendering four runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings of work. Campbell allowed one run in two frames of middle relief, and Jack Maruskin tossed 2 2/3 scoreless with five strikeouts to end the game.
Frostburg State opened the MEC tourney with a 4-0 win over West Virginia State on Wednesday.
The Bobcats' Jacob Stretch (six innings pitched, three hits, three walks, six Ks), Cael Huyer (two innings pitched, one hit, two Ks) and Ethan Kiple (one inning pitched, no hits, one K) combined for the shutout.
Kiple also homered at the plate.
Frostburg State has a rematch with Concord on Saturday at 1 p.m.
