YORK, PA - After dropping their last five game, the York College baseball team got back in the win column with a 7-5 victory over the St. Mary's Seahawks Wednesday afternoon at Jaquet Field.

The Spartans are now 8-8 and 4-5 in the CAC while the Seahawks fall to 6-13 and 3-7 in the league.

Spartan pitcher Andrew Tucci (Birdsboro, Pa. / Daniel Boone) came out strong as he retired the Seahawks side in order to start the game. In the bottom of the first, the Spartans came out swinging. Brad Wenzel (Blandon, Pa. / Fleetwood Area) roped a one out double down the right field line. Derek Pitzer (York, Pa. / Dallastown) then stroked a double to right center, scoring Wenzel to give the Spartans the early 1-0 lead.

The Seahawks got something going in the top of the third. After Zach Rowe singled to center field and stole second, Brad Dioguardo ripped a single to center field, scoring Rowe to tie up the game at one. With a leadoff walk in the bottom half, J.J. Oleniacz (Great Falls, Va. / Langley) advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Collin Crowell (Stewartstown, Pa. / Kennard-Dale). Oleniacz would then advance to third as Wenzel flied out to center field. With two outs, the Spartans regained the lead as Oleniacz scored on a wild pitch.

The 2-1 Spartan lead would not last for long as Jared Eaker led off the top of the fourth with a single. Another sacrifice bunt by Connor Goodie advanced Eaker to second. Hayden Ferington, doubled to right center to tie the game once again, this time at two.

Matt Holdefer led off the top of the fifth with a single down the left field line. Holdefer advanced to second on another Seahawks sacrifice bunt, this time by Rowe. With two outs, Luke Green roped an RBI single to left field to give the Seahawks their first lead of the game.

Once again, the Spartans came roaring back in the bottom of the sixth as Crowell led off with a single to right center. The Seahawk lead would be no more as Wenzel launched a mammoth two-run home run to right field to give the Spartans the 4-3 lead.

The Seahawks tied the game at four in the top of the seventh as Hunter Mohler led off with a single to center field. After Mohler advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Holdefer, Rowe singled to center field. With runners on second and third with one out, Dioguardo grounded out to second, scoring Mohler from third.

As Seahawk pitcher Matt Henigan came in to relieve Ben Goldsmith in the bottom of the seventh, Christian Bilan (Lumberton, N.J. / Camden Catholic) ripped a first pitch double to center field. Coming off the bench to pinch hit for Oleniacz, Steve Miller (Massapequea, N.Y. / Plainedge was hit by a pitch. After Crowell lined out to center field for the second out, Wenzel doubled down the right field line to give the Spartans the 5-4 lead. The Spartans added two more runs as Zach Hossler (Jefferson, Md. / Brunswick), who pinch ran for Miller, scored on a wild pitch and Stephen Miele (Allentown, Pa. / Salisbury) stroked a double to right center to score Wenzel.

Spartan pitcher Zach Philippi (Levittown, Pa. / Harry S. Truman) relieved Tucci in the top of the eighth. Eaker led off with a walk and advanced to second as Philippi balked. Goodie then singled to left field, advancing Eaker to third. Michael O'Neill grounded out to first, scoring Eaker from third to cut the Spartan lead to two. With runners on second and third, Philippi struck out Holdefer swinging to end the Seahawks come back.

Philippi came back out in the ninth and got the Seahawks 1-2-3 to clinch the Spartans 7-5 victory.

Tucci earned his second victory of the season as he allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings pitched. He struck out one in the win. Philippi recorded his first save in his two innings pitched. He gave up one run on two hits with two strikeouts.

Spartan head coach Mike Scappa on Tucci and Philippi, "Both of those guys are veterans. At this point in their career, they don't get rattled. They're able to command the situation, rely on our defense, and keep a cool head."

With the no-decision, Goldsmith gave up four runs on six hits in six innings pitched. Heigan suffered the loss as he allowed three runs on two hits in 0.2 innings of work. Garrett Pope blanked the Spartans on two hits in his 1.1 innings of relief.

The Spartans bats came alive as they recorded timely hits throughout the game. Wenzel tallied three hits while Miele recorded two. Wenzel had a home run and two doubles as he continues to be red hot at the plate. Five other Spartans added a hit in the win. Wenzel had three RBI while Pitzer and Miele knocked in one each.

"The older guys came through. As we started coming around, we saw more and more guys contributing," said Scappa. "The two-out runs were definitely momentum builders. Two-out hits win games."

For the Seahawks, Rowe and Mohler had two hits a piece while six others recorded contributed one. Dioguardo tallied two RBI. Green, Ferington, and O'Neill each added one RBI in the loss.

York gets right back to it with another Capital Athletic Conference matchup, the Spartans play host to Penn State Harrisburg tomorrow, April 2 at Jaquet Field. First pitch is slated for 3:30 pm.

Game story by Sean Naylor - Athletic Communications Student Assistant