Published: April 22, 2008 10:19 am         

FSU earns 9-3 win over Penn State-Altoona

ALTOONA, Pa. - Frostburg State scored eight runs in the top of the 11th inning to break a 1-1 tie and earn a 9-3 victory over Penn State-Altoona as the two squads completed a rain-shortened doubleheader from earlier in the spring season. FSU won the first game 6-3 April 1 but the second game was halted in the bottom of the second inning due to weather.

The game, which completed FSU's sweep of Altoona, played out as a pitchers' duel for much of the contest as FSU starter Katelyn Coffey and Altoona's Emily Cummins combined for 27 of the game's 29 strikeouts. Coffey finished with a career-high 13 including all three batters in both the third and eighth innings.

Coffey (10-6) tossed all 11 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits.

After nine scoreless innings, Frostburg State (14-16, 7-7) scored in the top of the 10th. Senior Meghan Dabkowski singled home Amanda Baldwin for a 1-0 lead. The Lions (4-22, 1-11) knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame off an FSU infield error.

In the 11th, the Bobcats came alive with eight runs to pull ahead 9-1. Coffey helped her own cause, scoring senior Lindsay Durkin with a single through the left side to get things started. Freshman Brooke Tapman, the reigning AMCC Player of the Week, doubled home sophomore Samantha Quirin and Coffey later scored when Baldwin singled to left.

The fourth and fifth runs came off of a errors. Quirin later added a three-run double for the 9-1 advantage.

In the bottom of the 11th, Altoona scored just two runs to narrow the gap as the game ended. The Lions only other threat in the game came in the ninth when the hosts loaded the bases without an out. However, the Bobcat defense got a double play that included the runner at home plate and a ground out to the shortstop to end the inning.

Eight different Frostburg State players had at least one hit while Quirin led the team with two, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBIs, one run scored and a double.

Frostburg State hosts Shenandoah on Thursday for a non-conference doubleheader at 3 p.m.