FREDERICKSBURG, V.A. – After snow postponed their doubleheader yesterday at Jaquet Field, the Spartans changed locations and had to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia this afternoon to face the Mary Washington Eagles. Tremendous pitching performances and a lack of offense led to the Spartans falling 4-0 and 3-0 to the Eagles in the Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader.

 The Eagles are 15-5 and 6-5 in the league while the Spartans fall to 7-7 and 3-5 in the CAC.

Game one was the textbook definition of a pitchers dual.  Spartan pitcher Randy Frankenfield (Blue Bell, Pa. / Wissahickon) and Eagle hurler Ryan Van Assche dominated early in the game, as the first runs of the game did not cross the plate until the fifth inning. Frankenfield allowed seven hits behind a stellar defense while Van Assche allowed one hit in the first five innings of play. 

In the top of the sixth, Frankenfield got in a bit of trouble. After getting Mitch Moynthan to pop out to second for the first out, James Sink reached base on a bunt single. David Slupek got hit by a pitch, advancing Sink to second and Thomas Weaver then flied out to right field. With two outs, Brian Burns walked to load the bases for the Eagles. Frankenfield then walked Kyle Bynum, scoring Sink from third to give the Eagles the 1-0 lead. Spartan head coach Mike Scappa saw enough as Zach Philippi (Levittown, Pa. / Harry S. Truman) came out of the pen to relieve Frankenfield. The next batter, James Keller, roped a two-run single to expand the Eagles lead to three.

In the top of the eighth, Burns reached on a Spartan error and advanced to second. Burns then stole third and scored as James Keller ripped a single to left field.

Van Assche earned his fifth victory of the season as he pitched a complete game shutout. Van Assche allowed four hits with six Spartan strikeouts in the win.

Frankenfield suffered the loss as he allowed three runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings pitched. He struck out three Eagles. Philippi allowed one run, zero earned, on five hits in 3.1 innings of work out of the Spartans pen.

The Eagles tallied 13 hits as James Keller led the way with three. Justin Kime and Jono Haught added two each while six other Eagles contributed with one knock each. Keller had three RBI and Kyle Bynum tallied one in the game one victory.

Stephen Miele (Allentown, Pa. / Salisbury) had two hits for the Spartans while Sean Mohollen (Rose Valley, Pa. / Strath Haven) and Michael Moore (East Berlin, Pa. / Bermudian Springs) each added one hit in the loss.

In the nightcap, the Eagles struck first in the top of second. Back to back doubles by Sink and Slupek gave the Eagles the early 1-0 lead.

Both team's offensive bats were silenced in the next four innings as Spartan pitcher Joel Kenney (Linthicum, Md./Mount St. Joseph) and Eagle pitcher Nick McIntyre allowed a combined three hits.

Bynum led off the top of the seventh with a double to left field. Keller then ripped a single to left field, scoring Bynum from second to expand the Eagles lead to two. The Spartans tried to get something going in the bottom of the seventh as Derek Pitzer (York, Pa. / Dallastown) reached base on an Eagle error. Mohollen then singled to left field, advancing Pitzer to second. After Moore struck out, Scott Steffy (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown East) roped a single to right field but was thrown out as he rounded first for the second out in the inning. With runners on second and third, Angelo Hronis (Shippensburg, Pa. / Chambersburg) struck out to end the inning.

That would be it for the Spartans as Patrick Pittman (Chester Springs, Pa. / Downingtown East) allowed one run in the top of the ninth and Tyler Daig closed the door on the Spartan offense in the bottom half to preserve the 3-0 Eagles victory.

McIntyre earned his fourth victory of the season as he blanked the Spartans on five hits in seven innings of work. He added five strikeouts in the win. Daig tallied his third save of the season in his two innings of action out of the Eagles pen.

Kenney suffered the loss as he allowed two runs on eight hits in his eight innings pitched. He struck out three Eagles in the loss. Out of the pen, Pittman gave up one run in his one inning of work.

Haught led the Eagles with two hits as six others added a hit a piece. Keller, Slupek, and Burns added one RBI a piece in the win.

Mohollen and Steffy tallied two hits while Brad Wenzel (Blandon, Pa. / Fleetwood Area) added a hit for the Spartans in the loss.

The Spartans travel to Winchester, Virginia tomorrow, March 30 as they face the Shenandoah University Hornets. First pitch is slated for 3:30 pm.

Recap written by Sean Naylor - Athletic Communications Student Assistant

Sean Mohollen photo courtesy of Derek Behrenshausen - Asst. Dir. of Athletic Communications