YORK, PA – The York College softball team
lost two games on the field and one coin flip off as the Spartans
had a tough Saturday. The Spartan dropped a pair to Salisbury
University in a Capital Athletic Conference showdown and then lost
the coin flip against Mary Washington for the second seed in the
upcoming CAC tournament.
In game one of the doubleheader, the Sea Gulls tallied three
runs in the sixth inning for a 3-0 win while the Gulls capped the
sweep with a 7-0 win in the nightcap.
The Spartans fall to 23-9 for the season and 9-3 in the CAC
while the Sea Gulls, who have won 23 straight, improve to 27-4
overall and 12-0 in the CAC.
In the opener, Spartan starter Brittany Therres
(Hughesville, Md./Thomas Stone) and Sea Gull starter Stacy
Davis locked in a great pitchers dual.
Salisbury had the first great scoring opportunity of the game as
they loaded the bases in the third with one out on three straight
hits. Sea Gull second baseman Stacey Malarkey lined a shot at her
York counterpart, Meghan Van Meter (Hanover, Md./Archbishop
Spalding), for the out. Salisbury's Kelly Waskewicz,
who was on third base, took off for the plate. Van Meter initially
threw to home but Spartan catcher Julie Norris (Frederick,
Md./Frederick) fired the ball to third to get a retreating
Waskewicz for the double play.
York had a scoring chance with two outs in the fourth as they
got runners at second and third with two outs but Davis got out of
the jam with a strikeout. York put two more runners on in the fifth
but would be unable to get them home as the game remained
scoreless.
The Sea Gulls finally got on the board in the top of the sixth.
Malarkey doubled to right center with one out to start the
Salisbury uprising. Ali Ritter singled up the middle off Van
Meter's glove, advancing Malarkey to third, putting Sea Gulls
at first and third with one out. Davis then hit a ground ball to
short. Spartan Heather Bormann (Brick, N.J./Brick
Memorial) looked Malarkey back to third and fired to first
for the out. Malarkey took off for home and used an outstanding
hook slide to touch the plate around the tag of Norris, recording
the game's first run. Kristin Lord then gave the Sea Gulls a
pair of huge insurance runs as she blasted a 1-2 Therres offering
to deep left, giving the guests a 3-0 lead.
The Spartans threatened in the seventh as Therres singled and
Van Meter doubled to lead off the seventh. Davis then recorded
three straight out to post the shutout.
Davis earned the complete game shutout as she allowed seven hits
with seven strikeouts and two walks. Davis improves to 14-2 with
the win. Therres was tagged with the tough-luck loss as she
allowed three runs on 11 hits with no strikeouts or walks in seven
innings. She falls to 11-5 with the setback.
Waskewicz led the Gulls as she was 3-for-4. Lauren Brenneman and
Ali Ritter each had a pair of hits while Lord was 1-for-3 with two
RBI and a run scored.
Van Meter paced the Spartan offense as she was 2-for-3 with
York's only extra base hit, her seventh inning double.
Game two proved to be all Sea Gulls from the start. Salisbury
struck for single runs in the first, third, and fourth innings
while they scored two runs in both the second and sixth innings.
The Spartans, however, would struggle on offense as Sea Gull
hurler Kelsey Mills handcuffed the Spartans the entire game. York
didn't get their first hit until pitcher Sam Koehl
(Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) doubled to deep
center to lead off the seventh inning. York loaded the bases in the
frame but Mills preserved the shutout with a strikeout to keep York
off the scoreboard.
Mills picked up the complete game shutout as she allowed one hit
with six strikeouts and four walks. Mills improves to 11-2 with the
win. Mills was so dominate that the Green and White did not get a
ball to the outfield until Van Meter flied out in the fifth inning.
Koehl suffered the loss as she allowed seven runs on 12 hits
with a walk. She falls to 12-4 with the loss.
Waskewicz and Brittany Lounge each went 2-for-5 with a run
scored and an RBI. Brenneman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and
an RBI while Jen Cahall was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
In addition to Koehl's seventh double of the year,
Caitlin Keppler (Owings, Md./Northern) drew a pair
of walks for the Green and White.
Off the field, the Spartans, who finished tied with Mary
Washington at 9-3 in the CAC and split with the Eagles earlier in
the year, lost the coin toss for second place. The Spartans will
now host sixth seeded Stevenson in the opening round of the CAC
Tournament on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch for the game is set
for 4:00 pm.
Before the Spartans face the Mustangs, York will host
Bridgewater College in a non-conference doubleheader. Game one at
Spartan Stadium is slated for 2:00 pm.
GAME ONE
BOX
GAME TWO
BOX
Photo: Meghan Van Meter led the Spartan offense with two
game-one hits.
