Frontier Drops Regular Season Finale, Turns Focus to Postseason

The year was 1978 when Meat Loaf's single "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" was released. For Coach Matt McCue and the Frontier Community College Bobcats, the title fit the week well.

FCC took two out of three games from Vincennes University, defeating VU 14-3 on Tuesday, April 28, and 10-2 on Thursday, April 30. The Bobcats came within one play of completing the sweep on Friday, May 1, before the host Trailblazers escaped with a 6-5 walk-off victory.

The game was tied at five in the bottom of the ninth when VU's Mathew Everroad singled, bringing home the winning run and handing the Bobcats a narrow one-run loss.

Frontier outhit the Trailblazers 13-9 in the contest. Garrett Schmidt led FCC at the plate with three hits.

VU broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning after Carter Gricius singled to score one run, Maddox Ray followed with a two-run single, and another run came across on a wild pitch to give the Trailblazers a 4-0 lead.

The Bobcats answered in the top of the fifth when Kasey Lowe launched a two-run home run to left field, cutting the deficit in half. Lowe came through again in the sixth with a single to center field that helped FCC tie the game at four.

Vincennes regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Brady Cloyd, making it 5-4. Frontier responded once more in the top of the eighth when Schmidt doubled down the left-field line to tie the game at five.

Alex Wandersee earned the win for VU, allowing four hits and one run over three innings while striking out three and walking one. Landon Davis took the loss for Frontier, giving up one run on four hits over two and two-thirds innings with one strikeout and no walks.

Trent Lowery started on the mound for the Bobcats. The left-hander allowed three hits and three runs over three and two-thirds innings. Jacob Allen started for the Trailblazers, surrendering seven hits and two runs over four innings while striking out three and walking one.

FCC finished with 13 hits. Lowe went 2-for-6 and led the Bobcats with four RBIs. Josh French, Gael Salinas, Asa Dunlevey and Schmidt each collected multiple hits for Frontier. The Bobcats also turned one double play.

VU totaled nine hits. Ray led the Trailblazers with two RBIs from the No. 7 spot in the lineup, going 2-for-3. Ethan Papalios and Ray each had two hits for Vincennes.

The Bobcats wrap up the regular season with a 35-18 overall record and an 18-12 mark in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference.

Frontier begins postseason play this week as the Bobcats travel to John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 6, to face Wabash Valley College. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.