NEWPORT NEWS, VA – The York College baseball team got swept out of the 2015 Capital Athletic Conference tournament as the Spartans were swept by the Christopher Newport Captains on Saturday afternoon in Newport News, VA. The Captains won game one 8-3 and completed the sweep with an 8-6 win in the nightcap.

The two wins enable the Captains to edge out the Spartans for the final berth in the six-team CAC Tournament. The Captains are 15-12 and 8-10 in the CAC while the Spartans fall to 11-15 and 6-12 in the league.

In the opener, Captain pitcher Blake Ream and Spartan pitcher Randy Frankenfield (Blue Bell, Pa. / Wissahickon) took over the game in the first five innings of play as they allowed three combined hits. Ream escaped a bases loaded jam in the top of the second while Frankenfield got out of a jam, stranding a runner on third, in the bottom of the fourth.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, Sean Mohollen (Rose Valley, Pa. / Strath Haven) singled to third base. After Logan Countryman (Baltimore, Md. / Loch Raven) was hit by a pitch, advancing Mohollen to third, Christian Bilan (Lumberton, N.J. / Camden Catholic) gave the Spartans the 1-0 lead off an RBI single to left field. In the bottom half, Keith Roberts ripped a one out double to center field. The Captains tied the game at one when A.J. Nicely singled to left center, scoring Roberts from second.

The Spartans took the 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh. After Scott Steffy (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown East) singled to right center, J.J. Oleniacz (Great Falls, Va. / Langley) moved him over to second off a sacrifice bunt. Brad Wenzel (Blandon, Pa. / Fleetwood Area) came through for the Spartans as he singled to left field, knocking in Steffy. The Captains fought back in the bottom half of the seventh as Taylor Loudon crushed a three-run home run to left field to give the Captains the 4-2 lead. Loundon's home run came with two outs in the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Captains added a few insurance runs. Nicely led off with a double down the left field line. Craig Johnson then singled to right field to advance Nicely to third. After Johnson stole second, Connor Henderson ripped a two-run single to center field to extend the Captains lead to four. Spartan head coach Mike Scappa saw enough as Andrew Tucci (Birdsboro, Pa. / Daniel Boone) came out of the pen to relieve Frankenfield. The Captains took the 8-2 lead as Bryant Lowry crushed a two-run shot to right center.

The Spartans added a run in the top of the ninth but the damage was already done as the Captains captured the game one win.

Ream earned his third victory of the season as he allowed two runs on six hits in 7.2 innings pitched. He struck out five in the win. Caleb Myers gave up one hit in 0.1 innings of work. Justin Garber allowed one run on one hit while striking out two Spartans in his one inning of action.

Frankenfield suffered the loss as he gave up seven runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings of work. He struck out eight. Tucci allowed one run on two hits while striking out two in 0.2 innings of relief.

The Captains offense was led by Nicely who recorded four hits. Six others notched a hit in the win. Loudon tallied three RBI while Henderson and Lowry drove in two RBI each. Nicely had one RBI for the Captains.

Mohollen tallied three hits while Bilan and Steffy added two each. Wenzel had one hit for the Spartans. Wenzel, Bilan, and Steffy notched one RBI each in the loss.

In the nightcap, the Spartans struck first in the top of the second. Mohollen singled up the middle and advanced to third as Countryman roped a double to left center. After a strikeout, Seth Brosius (Magnolia, Del. / Caesar Rodney) came through for the Spartans with a two-run single to left field and advanced to second on the throw to the plate. Oleniacz gave the Spartans the 3-0 lead as he singled through the left side, scoring Brosius from second.

Roberts drew a walk to lead off in the bottom of the third. Nicely then singled to right field, advancing Roberts to third. The Captains got on the board as Brandon Ginch singled through the right side, scoring Roberts and advancing Nicely to second. After Johnson laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over, Nicely scored on a sacrifice fly by Henderson. Lowry tied the game up at three as he stroked a double to right field.

Brosius led off the top of the fifth with a single up the middle. After Oleniacz drew a walk, Wenzel singled to left field to load the bases. The Captains coaching staff saw enough as Kyle Goddard came in to relieve Joe Burris. The Spartans obtained the lead as Brosius scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Stephen Miele (Allentown, Pa. / Salisbury). The Captains answered in the bottom half. Brandon Ginch reached first on a Spartan throwing error then stole second. Another Spartan error scored Ginch from second while advancing Johnson to second to tie the game at four. Back to back home runs by Henderson and Lowry extended the Captains lead to three.

The Captains added a run in the bottom of the sixth as Loudon walked and advanced to third on a Spartan throwing error as he was attempting to steal second. Keith Roberts then singled up the middle to give the Captains the 8-4 lead.

Captain pitcher Justin Garber came in to work the ninth. After Countryman singled to center field and Bilan doubled ripped a double down the right field line, Brosius came through once again as he hit a two-run single up the middle to cut the Captains lead to two. That would be it though, for the Spartans as Garber struck out Miele to seal the 8-6 Captains victory and get the series sweep.

For the Captains, Burris allowed four runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Goddard earned his first victory of the season as he gave up one hit in 1.2 innings of relief. Caleb Myers struck out one while allowing one hit in two innings of work. Garber gave up two runs on three hits in one inning pitched. He struck out two Spartans.

Matt Goodman (Owing Mills, Md. / Franklin) suffered the loss as he allowed seven runs, four earned, on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work. He struck out two. Mark Breitenbach (Collegeville, Pa. / Spring-Ford) gave up one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of relief. Patrick Pittman (Chester Springs, Pa. / Downingtown East) blanked the Captains and allowed one hit in two innings pitched.

Nicely, Ginch, and Lowry led the Captains with two hits a piece. Five others notched a hit in the win. Henderson recorded three RBI while Lowry tallied two. Roberts and Ginch each added one RBI for the Captains.

Brosius had a day at the plate as he notched four hits and four RBI in the loss. Wenzel, Mohollen, and Countryman all recorded two hits a piece while Bilan and Oleniacz added one each. Miele and Oleniacz each contributed an RBI against the Captains.

The Spartans continue their season a week from Sunday as they will host Franklin & Marshall College at Jaquet Field. The contest will be the Spartans' 2015 senior day as York's seniors will get recognized prior to the game. First pitch is set for 2:00 pm.

Game recap written by Sean Naylor – Athletic Communications Student Assistant