Altiers homers twice in Softball’s sweep of Frostburg State

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team scored a combined 22 runs across both of its wins over Frostburg State in a doubleheader at Whitley Field on Friday to kick off a nine-game softball weekend at Catawba College.

GAME ONE | Catawba 10, Frostburg State 9

TEAM STATISTICS

- Frostburg State out-hit Catawba 15-14

- The Bobcats recorded eight of 12 extra-base hits

- FSU committed three of four errors in the contest

- Catawba had all three stolen bases in game one

- Frostburg State's pitchers allowed four earned runs on 14 hits and three walks; Catawba's staff allowed nine earned runs on 15 hits and two walks, striking out four

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Molly Strider was 2-for-3 with a double, four RBI and a run scored

- Kary Hales added three hits and three runs scored

- Christina Brendle had a 3-for-3 game with a double, an RBI and a run scored

- Savanna Balderston recorded two hits, an RBI and a run scored

- Keira Bell earned the win in the circle, allowing a run in four innings of work

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Laura Gilford homered for FSU in the first batter of their season

THIRD INNING

- An RBI double and a three-run homer made it a 5-0 Frostburg State lead in the fourth

- Brianna Gallagher roped a two-out single to center field to get Catawba on the board

- A costly Frostburg State error allowed Strider to drive in three on a bases-loaded double, while Brendle, Allie Burns and Balderston registered three straight RBI base hits to take a 7-5 lead

FOURTH INNING

- FSU responded with a solo homer to lead off the next frame

- A bloop and a blast returned the lead to the Bobcats, 8-7

- An error on a steal attempt allowed Catawba to tie the game in the bottom half

- Hales later scored on a wild pitch to take back the lead, 9-8

SIXTH INNING

- Samara Funk's RBI infield single tied the game back up at 9

- Hales singled, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch to lead off the sixth; Strider's RBI single drove in the go-ahead run in game one

GAME TWO | Catawba 12, Frostburg State 0 - 5 innings

TEAM STATISTICS

- Catawba out-hit Frostburg State 11-2

- The Catawba Indians had all six extra-base hits and all four homers

- Despite 11 hits and 12 runs, Catawba left just three runners on base; FSU stranded six

- Alex Baquie threw a complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits in five scoreless frames; the Bobcats' staff allowed 12 runs on 11 hits and two walks, striking out four

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Maddy Altiers was 2-for-3 with two homers, five RBI and two runs scored

- Grace Flynn added two hits including a homer with two RBI and two runs scored

- Hales recorded two doubles, two RBI and a run scored

- Baquie went the distance, earning her third win of the season

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Flynn homered in Catawba's first plate appearance in the first

SECOND INNING

- Catawba scored again on a double steal in the second

- A wild pitch and Flynn's RBI groundout made it 4-0 Catawba

THIRD INNING

- Altiers launched a two-run homer to left-center to extend the lead to 6-0 in the third

FOURTH INNING

- Hales scored two with a bases-loaded double

- Altiers' three-run bomb on the next batter made it 11-0 Catawba

- Hayden Poole hit her first collegiate homer on a pinch-hit appearance later in the inning

UP NEXT

- Catawba returns to Whitley Field for two games on Saturday; they'll face Flagler at 11:30 a.m. and Converse at 3:30 p.m.