SALISBURY, MD – The York College baseball team broke out
the long ball as they collected a Capital Athletic Conference
record eight home runs in route to a 24-5 CAC win at Salisbury
University on a windy Wednesday afternoon in Salisbury, Md.
The Spartans have now won ten straight as they improve to 16-9
overall while they move to within one game of Salisbury in the CAC
standings at 11-5. The sixth ranked Sea Gulls fall to 19-5 overall
and 12-2 in the CAC. The loss is the most lopsided loss in the last
ten years for the Sea Gulls.
The first three innings would not give a clue to the offensive
eruption the Spartans would display in the final six innings of the
game. York plated single runs in the first and the second innings
while Salisbury scored a run in the first and third innings. The
Sea Gulls had their two runs without the benefit of a hit as a pair
of Spartan errors allowed the hosts to get on the board.
The Spartans used the next three innings to build a lead. York
plated two in the fourth courtesy of a Jim Meehan (Mastic,
N.Y./Eastport South Manor Central) two-run bomb to center.
York added four more in the fifth with a C.T. Stanley
(Timonium, Md./Calvert Hall) two-run homer. Meehan struck
for his second homer in as many at-bats four batters later as the
Spartan lead grew to 8-2.
The Green and White lead grew to 10-2 with two more runs in the
top of the sixth inning. Senior Mike Connolly (Selden,
N.Y./Newfield) opened the sixth with a home run to
right-center. Rob Klinck (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley
Regional) added an RBI single as the Spartans were just
getting warmed up.
The Spartans blew the game wide open in the final three innings
as they scored five in the seventh, five in the eighth and four in
the ninth to provide for the final 24-5 margin of victory.
Senior Jason Christenberry (Yoe,
Pa./Dallastown) earned the win for the Spartans as he went
7.2 innings, allowing four runs, but just one earned, on five hits
as he improves to 6-1. Christenberry struck out nine and walked
three as he threw 111 pitches in his outing.
Dustin Herbert absorbed the loss for the Sea Gulls as he allowed
seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits in 4.1 innings of work. He
walked one and struck out one as suffered his first loss of the
year in falling to 5-1. Seven pitchers followed Herbert to the
mound and all but one gave up at least a run. The Salisbury bullpen
allowed 17 runs on 20 hits in their 4.2 total innings.
The Spartans received two home runs each from Meehan and
Joe Doyle (Stewartstown, Pa./Red Lion). Stanley,
Connolly, Matt Monti (Easton, Pa./Easton), and
Rick Shumway (Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg Area)
each added a home run to the 31-hit Spartan attack.
Doyle led the Spartans offense as he was 4-for-7 with seven RBI
and four runs scored. Klink added five hits, two RBI and two runs
scored while Kyle Cook (Pylesville, Md./North
Harford) was 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI.
Connolly was another Spartan with a big day as he was 4-for-6 with
three runs scored ans a pair of ribbies.
The Spartans' eight homers and 64 total bases establish
new CAC and York College single game records.
Bill Morton had Salisbury's lone home run as he hit a solo
blast in the ninth. Mike Celenza had a hit, a run and an RBI for
the hosts.
The teams will meet again on Saturday, as they will play a key
conference doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch of game one is
slated for 1:00 pm at Jaquet Field.
