SALISBURY, MD – Behind an exceptional
playoff performance from junior pitcher Jason Christenberry
(Yoe, Pa./Dallastown), the York College baseball team
rolled to a 12-1 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan in the
Spartans' first game of the NCAA Tournament South Regional.
The triumph, which improves York's record to 28-14 on the
season, pushes the Green and White into the winner's bracket
where they will face the winner of Shenandoah and Johns Hopkins
Thursday night at 7:45 pm.
Christenberry was nothing short of masterful for the Spartans.
The junior standout, a first-team All-CAC selection this season,
threw seven scoreless innings scattering four hits and improving
his record to 8-3 on the year. Christenberry struck out seven and
only surrendered two walks as he faced 25 Battling Bishops.
“I was happy with how I threw today,” Christenberry
said. “The offense did a great job of getting me some runs
early and that took the pressure off me and made it easy for me to
do my job. The guys played really good defense and allowed me to
focus on throwing strikes and attacking their hitters.”
That offense would provide the junior with plenty of run support
throughout the ballgame. After two scoreless innings, the Green and
White jumped out front with three in the top of the third.
Right-fielder Joe Doyle (Stewartstown, Pa./Red
Lion) opened the frame by reaching on an error, followed
by a Jim Meehan (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport-South Manor
Central) single up the middle. Second baseman
Dustin Worthman (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) laid
down a terrific sacrifice bunt, pushing both Doyle and Meehan over
one station. Rob Klinck (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley
Regional) shot an opposite field double that snuck just
inside the right field line, plating York's opening two
scores. Senior all-league performer Ryan Poff (York,
Pa./Spring Grove) then added to his program-best career
hits total with a stung single into center field as Klinck scooted
over to third. One Mike Connolly (Selden,
N.Y./Newfield) sacrifice fly later and the Spartans owned
an early 3-0 advantage.
York poured it on in the fifth and sixth frames, tallying nine
more runs over those two innings. Three came in the top of the
fifth as Worthman, Klinck, and Rob Andrews (East Northport,
N.Y./Commack) all scored, as each of the three tallies
came with two outs.
The Spartans' sixth resulted in six runs as the Green and
White utilized five hits and one Bishop error to reach their 12-run
output.
"Offensively, we had very good at-bats that produced a number of
two-out hits," Spartan head coach Paul Saikia said. "We had been
doing that all season but struggled a bit towards the end of the
regular season. We really hit the ball up and down the order and
when we get that kind of production, we can put some runs up on the
board."
The final three and half innings went by quietly, save for one
Bishop score in the bottom of the ninth.
As a team, the Green and White put together 18 hits while
sending 43 batters to the plate. Andrews had a quality performance,
going 2-for-5 while driving in four runs and scoring two. Poff and
Meehan each put in three-hit days as Klinck and Matt Monti
(Easton, Pa./Easton) each drove in a pair.
Junior right-hander Chris Frankenfield (Blue Bell,
Pa./Wissahickon) came on in the eighth in relief of
Christenberry, throwing one complete inning with a strikeout.
Sophomore Kyle Cook (Pylesville, Md./North
Harford) finished out the Spartans' victory throwing
the ninth for the York side.
N.C. Wesleyan starter Ben Moore is saddled with the loss as he
surrendered nine runs, only five of which were earned, over his
five-plus innings of work. John Child finished off the game for the
Battling Bishops, giving up three run over his four frames.
Justin Rahm posted the best day for the Wesleyan squad, notching
a 2-for-3 showing while Justin Tuck went 1-for-4 and drove in the
Bishops' tally.
The Spartans will prepare for their 7:45 pm game tomorrow
evening. Live Stats of the contest will be available at http://www.suseagulls.com/ncaa/bbregional09/index
courtesy of Salisbury University sports information.
BOX SCORE
Jason Christenberry photo courtesy of Scott Guise
