CUA takes game one from Bobcats, before falling in the nightcap

FROSTBURG, Md. – CUA and Frostburg State engaged in a wild doubleheader on Wednesday with the Cardinals winning the opener 5-3 before the Bobcats staged a memorable comeback to earn a 14-13 victory in the nightcap.  Following the day’s action CUA sits at 20-13 on the season.

CUA jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first game with a pair of runs in the top half of the second inning.  Nina Curto led off with a walk and was bunted into scoring position by Tracey Scanlon.  Following a pop out, Jill Zic singled to put runners on first and third.  Zic and Curto then executed a double steal for the Cardinals first run and Sam Daubman doubled home Zic to make it 2-0 CUA.

The Bobcats came right back with three runs of their own in the bottom half, including a leadoff homerun by Caitlin Lovend and the home team went in front 3-2.

The Cardinals knotted the score at three with a single run in the fifth when Taylor Stockinger came home on Megan Rizzi’s fielder’s choice.   Then in the sixth CUA pushed across the eventual winning run and an insurance run.  Stockinger drove in one of the runs with a single and a bases loaded walk to Rizzi forced in the other.

Frostburg State put two runners on in the seventh but CUA hurler Kerri Apicella kept the Bobcats off the scoreboard to earn the win.  Apicella went all seven innings, struck out three and allowed three runs to earn the win, while Megan Magee suffered the loss for Frostburg State after allowing four runs on six hits in 5.1 innings.

The second game was chock-full of offense, with the teams combining for 27 runs and 33 hits.  CUA scored first with three runs in the second when Stockinger blasted a three-run shot.

The Bobcats answered with three runs in the bottom half to tie things up, but CUA came right back with six runs in the top of the third.  Meagan Daubman and Rizzi drove in one run apiece with sacrifice flys, Sam Daubman and Mel Gallela doubled in one each, Stockinger singled in a run and she later came across on a wild pitch.

In the fifth the Cardinals added two more runs, as Stockinger again went deep, this time with a solo shot, and Kristen Trancynger singled in Rizzi to make the score 11-3.

Frostburg scored once in the bottom of the fifth but Stockinger singled in Scanlon in the next half inning and the Cardinals were enjoying an eight-run advantage.

The Bobcats cut into the CUA lead with four runs in the sixth, but CUA scored once again in the top of the seventh, and took a 13-8 lead into the last half inning.

CUA had all sorts of trouble putting Frostburg State away as the Cardinals did not retire a single batter in the seventh.  A lead-off walk was followed by three straight singles to make it a 13-9 game and a bases loaded walk to Taylor Vandergrift made it 13-10.

With the bases still loaded and no outs, Lovend stepped to the plate and she delivered a game-winning grand slam that cleared the bases and gave the Bobcats a dramatic 14-13 victory.

Apicella took the game two loss for the Cardinals after she surrendered two runs on one hit, while Lauren Scrivener was the winning pitcher, despite giving up 11 runs on 12 hits in 4.2 innings.

This weekend CUA returns home to host a pair of doubleheaders, beginning on Saturday when the Cardinals entertain Merchant Marine Academy on Senior Day.  First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.  On Sunday CUA will take on No. 11 Salisbury with the first pitch of the opening game also set for 1.