YORK, Pa. – The York College softball team captured a 6-5 win and suffered a 5-3 loss in a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader with Frostburg State on Thursday afternoon at Spartan Stadium.

The Spartans (15-9, 3-3 CAC) needed extra innings to pull off the win in game two and earn the split with the Bobcats (12-7, 3-3) as freshman Jayci Cristaudo (Mechanicsville, Md. / Chopticon) singled through the right side to score Madison Fitzgerald (Prince Frederick, Md. / Huntingtown) from third in the bottom of the eight inning. Fitzgerald pinch ran for Vanessa Mendez (Lititz, Pa. / Warwick) and started on second base due to international tiebreaker rules, and she was moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Melissa Jurkiewicz (Oak Ridge, N.J. / Jefferson Township).

After surrendering a run in the top of the second inning in game two, York took the lead with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Carleigh Ruleman (Owings, Md. / Northern) led off the inning with a double down the left field line and later scored on a two-out RBI single by Mendez to left field. Jurkiewicz kept the inning alive as she singled up the middle and moved Mendez to third. Cristaudo also singled up the middle and drove in Mendez from third for York's second run.

The Bobcats threatened to score again in the top of the third, but clutch defensive play preserved the Spartan lead. Right fielder Savannah Zittle (Port Deposit, Md. / Catholic High School of Baltimore) snared a potential lead-off hit for Frostburg as she made a diving, snow cone catch down the right field line for the first out. Frostburg managed to get a runner on and in scoring position with two outs, but as that runner tried to advance home on a single up the middle, Cristaudo fielded the ball in center and gunned the runner out at the plate to prevent the Bobcats from getting a run across.

Frostburg would manage to get runs across in the fifth inning. The Bobcats started the inning with back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position. A single by Hannah Tavik drove in one run and put runners on first and third. Next up was Renay Aubel who cleared the bases with a home run and put Frostburg ahead 5-2.

The Spartans rallied back in the bottom of the fifth and got two runs back that they let up in the top half of the inning to tie the score 5-5. With two outs and Ruleman on first, Mendez came up with a clutch RBI double to left center. Next up was Jurkiewicz who put the ball in play and forced a Bobcat fielding error which allowed Mendez to score from second.

Frostburg made a push in the top of the seventh to take the lead and potentially claim the victory as Lauren Capece doubled to center field with two outs. The next batter up smoked a ground ball to the left side, but Emily Glatts (Brookhaven, Pa. / Padua Academy) made a diving stop to her left, got to her feet and made a strong throw to first for the final out and prevented the Bobcats from doing any damage.

York then recorded three straight outs in the top of the eight and then won the game in walk-off fashion in the bottom half of the inning.

Jurkiewicz earned the win and improves to 3-1 as she pitched a complete game, surrendering five runs on 11 hits with one strikeout.

Allison Short suffered the loss and falls to 6-4 as she also went the distance, giving up six runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

In game one, York fought hard, but struggled to match Frostburg's offensive output.

The Bobcats struck first, scoring three runs in the second inning as the Spartans committed a pair of errors in the inning.

The Spartans responded in the bottom half of the inning as Mendez poked a two-RBI single to right field to score Megan Martin (Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill East) and Ruleman. Those would be the only runs York would get in the second and trailed the Bobcats 3-2.

Frostburg struck again in the sixth inning with two more runs combined with another Spartan error. York would once again respond in the bottom of the inning, but again came up short, only managing to score one run in response to Frostburg's two.

York made a late push at tying the game in the bottom of the seventh when Ruleman smoked a two-out triple to right center, but Ruleman was left stranded at third as the final out was made.

Tavik captured the win for Frostburg and she improves to 6-3 as she threw a complete game, giving up three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and seven walks.

Courtney Martin (Willow Street, Pa. / Lampeter-Strasburg) suffered the loss and falls to 12-8 as she tossed seven innings, surrendering five runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

York returns to the diamond on Saturday to take on Southern Virginia in a CAC doubleheader at Spartan Stadium starting at 1:00 p.m.

Jayci Cristaudo photo courtesy of Joe Rodgers