FROSTBURG, Md. – Frostburg State swept a Mountain East Conference softball doubleheader from North Division rival West Liberty here Tuesday afternoon at Bobcat Field.

    The Bobcats (30-17, 17-11) never trailed in handing Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (12-36, 8-20) a 6-3 setback in the first game before taking a 12-3 "run-rule" decision in the finale.

    In the opener, Frostburg jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings and never looked back. West Liberty took advantage of some shaky Bobcat fielding to score three unearned runs in the fifth but the hosts clouted back-to-back home runs leading off the bottom of the fifth to put the game on ice.

    Jaden Conrad singled twice and drove in a run for WLU while Riley Conkle and Sydney Johnson each doubled in a losing cause.

    In the second game, West Liberty grabbed a 3-2 lead in the top of the third inning when Mallory Rosnick launched a two-run blast deep over the centerfield fence. Unfortunately for the visitors, that lead proved to be short-lived.

    The Bobcats took advantage of four WLU errors to bat around in the bottom of the inning, eventually pounding out seven hits and plating nine runs – all unearned – to open up an 11-3 lead. After Frostburg added another tally in the fourth, the Hilltoppers loaded the bases in the top of the fifth but couldn't break through.

    West Liberty had 10 hits in the second game. Kayla Mancuso and Jairika Baylor led the way with two singles each and Sydney Johnson added an RBI double.

    The Black and Gold will try to get back on track on Friday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader against Alderson Broaddus.

SOFTBALL

Frostburg State 6, West Liberty 3

West Liberty             000 030 0 - 3  6  2

Frostburg State        130 020 x - 6  8  2

     WLU: Alford lp (1SO, 2W), Tapman (1SO, 2W) and Holbrook. Conrad 2S, rbi; Conkle D; S.Johnson D

     FSU: Theobald wp (1SO, 1W) and Ernst. Powell HR, D, 3rbi; Miller 2D, rbi; Roberts HR, rbi

Frostburg State 12, West Liberty 3

West Liberty             012 00 -   3  10  5

Frostburg State        119 1x - 12  13  0

     WLU: Angus lp (0SO, 0W), Baer (0SO, 0W) and Holbrook. Mancuso 2S; Baylor 2S; Rosnick HR, 2rbi; S.Johnson D, rbi

     FSU: Albright (1SO, 1W), Roberts wp (4SO, 0W) and Ernst. Baker 2D, S, rbi; Munday 2S, 2rbi; Sanderson 2S, rbi; Powell 2S; Funk D, 2rbi; Roberts S, 2rbi