YORK, PA – The York College baseball
squad remained red hot as the Spartans posted a 9-2 non-conference
victory over Elizabethtown College on Monday afternoon at Jaquet
Field. The Spartans have now won 12 straight as they improve to
12-2 overall. The Blue Jays fall to 7-6 with the setback.
After Spartan starter Jason Christenberry (Yoe,
Pa./Dallastown) got the Blue Jays in order in the first,
the Spartan offense went to work. Leadoff hitter Rob Klinck
(Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) opened the
Spartans' half of the first with a sharp single to right. He
stole second but then was thrown out a third on a Kyle Cook
(Pylesville, Md./North Harford) fielder's choice.
Cook came around to score on a booming double off the right field
wall by Mike Connolly (Selden, NY/Newfield),
giving the Spartans the 1-0 lead. Senior Ryan Poff (York,
Pa./Spring Grove) wasted little time in trading places
with Connolly as he launched a double to right center, scoring the
Spartans' left fielder, making it 2-0 Spartans. After
designated hitter Matt Austin (Shrewsbury,
Pa./Susquehannock) walked, the Spartans pulled off a
double steal followed by Blue Jay catcher Tom Semanek throwing the
ball into left field, allowing Poff to score and Austin to advance
to third. Third baseman Matt Monti (Easton,
Pa./Easton) drove home Austin with a sacrifice fly as York
took a 4-0 lead after the first.
The Spartans added a run in the second as Klinck doubled,
advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single
from Poff. The Spartans were poised to break open the game in
the third as they loaded the bases. They got one run out of the
uprising when Cook drew a bases loaded walk. However, York left the
sacked juiced when Connolly drilled a line drive right at the right
fielder for the final out of the frame.
Elizabethtown got on the board in the fourth with three straight
hits off Christenberry. After the Blue Jays got one run, the junior
ace halted the rally with a fielder's choice, a fly ball to
shallow right and a ground ball back to the mound to end the frame.
The Spartans tacked on two runs in the fourth without the
benefit of a hit as they got a hit batter, four walks and a wild
pitch to get the pair of runs. York increased the lead to 9-1 with
a single tally in the bottom of the sixth.
Elizabethtown picked up their final run on a Spartan throwing
error in the seventh, providing for the final 9-2 margin.
Christenberry earned the victory as he improves to 4-0. He
allowed one run on seven hits with a strikeout and a walk in six
innings of work. Three Spartan relievers combined to throw the
final three innings as they surrendered a run on three hits with
two strikeouts and no walks.
Matt Kutz took the loss as he allowed four runs on four hits
with a walk in one inning. He falls to 1-2 with the setback. The
Blue Jay bullpen was of little relief as they allowed five runs on
six hits with eight walks and six strikeouts in their seven innings
of action.
Offensively, Poff paced the Spartans, as he was 3-for-3 with two
RBI and a run scored. Klinck was 2-for-5 with a run scored while
Chris Young (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Red Land) was the
third Spartan with multiple hits as he was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Sam Heaps and Tom Semanek led the Blue Jays as they each had
three hits. The duo combined to collect six of
Elizabethtown's 10 hits for the day.
The Spartans return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they
host Gettysburg College in the second game of a three-game home
stand. First pitch is slated for 3:30 pm at Jaquet Field.
GAME BOX
