YORK, PA – The York College baseball team split a pair in a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader against the Marymount University Saints this afternoon at Jaquet Field in York, Pennsylvania. The Spartans won game one 9-2 before the Saints fashioned a dramatic come-from-behind 10-5 victory in the nightcap.

The Spartans are 9-12 and 5-9 in the CAC while the Saints are 11-12 overall and 7-8 in the league.

In the opener, Marymount pitcher Dylan Gerdts and Spartan pitcher Randy Frankenfield (Blue Bell, Pa. / Wissahickon) started off the game strong as they blanked the opposing offense in the first two innings.

Brothers Stephen and Ben Berczek got it going for the Saints in the top of the third. Stephen Berczek drew a two-out walk and moved to second as he got picked off but ended up stealing second. Then right on cue, Ben Berczek roped a double to deep center field, scoring brother Stephen from first to give the Saints the 1-0 lead.

Pitching continued to dominate the next two innings until the Saints added to their lead in the top of the sixth. Ben Berczek led off with a single up the middle but advanced to second on a Spartan error. Ryan Blake reached on a fielder's choice as he laid down a bunt, advancing Berczek to third. Max Burcham then hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Berczek to increase the Saints lead to two. Frankenfield then basically won the game as he retired the next three hitters to hold the Saints at two, giving his offense the chance to get back into the game.

The Spartans answered in the bottom of the sixth as Stephen Miele (Allentown, Pa. / Salisbury) led off with a single to center field. Derek Pitzer (York, Pa. / Dallastown) then singled through the left side, advancing Miele to second. A bunt single by Sean Mohollen (Rose Valley, Pa. / Strath Haven) gave the Spartans the bases loaded with no outs. Logan Countryman (Baltimore, Md. / Loch Raven) roped a single into right field, scoring Miele to cut the Saints lead in half. Another single, this time by freshman Christian Bilan (Lumberton, N.J. / Camden Catholic) tied the game at two as Pitzer scored.

The Marymount coaching staff saw enough as Jake Kniatt came in to relieve Gerdts. Two batters later, the Spartans gained the lead as J.J. Oleniacz (Great Falls, Va. / Langley) reached base on a Saint error, scoring Countryman from third. That turned out to be a huge play as the ground ball was a taylor made double play as York got a huge extra out in the inning. Kniatt had trouble finding the plate as he walked Scott Steffy (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown East) to give the Spartans the 4-2 lead. The Spartans would add two more runs off of a sacrifice fly by Brad Wenzel (Blandon, Pa. / Fleetwood Area) and a single by Miele.

Mohollen led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to right field. A walk to Countryman advanced Mohollen to second but he then advanced to third on a Saint error. Bilan knocked the game out of reach as he crushed a three run home run to left field to expand the Spartans lead to 9-2.

York shut down the Marymount offense over the next three innings to seal the seven run victory.

A much needed, strong outing by Frankenfield paved the way for the Spartans as he allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits in seven innings pitched. Frankenfield tallied six strikeouts in his second victory of the season. Patrick Pittman (Chester Springs, Pa. / Downingtown East) blanked the Saints, allowing four hits and two strikeouts in two innings of relief work.

Gerdts suffered the loss as he allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings pitched. He struck out two Spartans. Kniatt gave up one unearned run in 0.1 innings of action. Niko Sanchez allowed three runs on three hits in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen. Spenser Davis blanked the Spartans in the eighth on a mere four pitches.

Offensively, Miele led the Spartans with three hits. Mohollen, Countryman, and Bilan all tallied two hits in the win. Pitzer and Oleniacz added on hit each. Bilan had a tremendous day at the plate as he recorded a career-high four RBI for the Spartans.

Ben Berczek recorded three hits for the Saints while Lorenzo Calderon and Blake each added two hits. Ben Berczek and Burcham each had an RBI for the Saints in the loss.

In the nightcap, the Spartans got the bats rolling early. In the bottom of the second, Mohollen singled to right field and then, with two outs, advanced to second on a wild pitch. Bilan then reached base on a throwing error, scoring Mohollen from second to give the Spartans the 1-0 lead.

York added to the lead in the third as Wenzel doubled to right center field with one out in the inning. After Miele walked, Mohollen roped an RBI single to center field to expand the Spartans lead to two.

Spartan pitcher Matt Goodman (Owing Mills, Md. / Franklin) cruised through the Saints lineup in the first six innings of play as he allowed a combined two hits.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, the Saints rally started. Gannon White drew a walk and then advanced to third on a single to center field by Brandon Padgett. Kaden Darrow then hit an RBI single, to give the Saints their first run of the game. After Padgett and Darrow advanced one base on a wild pitch, Jack Breheny walked to load the bases. With two out and the bases jacked, Calderon stroked a two-run single to left field to give the Saints the 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Bilan singled to center field. Seth Brosius (Magnolia, Del. / Caesar Rodney) then walked, advancing Bilan to second. Pinch hitter Steve Miller (Massapequea, N.Y. / Plainedge) then roped a single to center field, loading the bases with one out. The Spartans tied the game at three as Steffy singled through the left side, scoring Bilan. Wenzel then gave the Spartans the 4-3 lead with a sacrifice fly to left field. The Spartans added an insurance run as Miele singled to right field to score Zach Hossler (Jefferson, Md./ Brunswick).

Miele came out for the ninth, holding a Spartan 5-3 lead. Two straight walks and a Spartan error scored a run for the Saints, cutting the lead to one. Calderon then hit an RBI double to left center to tie the game at five. The Saints took the lead as Brandon Savage singled through the right side, scoring Graubics and Calderon. After Ben Berczek walked, Blake hit an RBI single up the middle to extend the Saints lead to three. Chris Wolf (Staten Island, N.Y. / Moore Catholic) then relieved Miele but would give up a single to Ryan Adamus, scoring Berczek from third. With two outs, Padgett reached base on the second Spartan error in the inning to give the Saints the 10-5 lead.

With the momentum turned, the Saints blanked the Spartans in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the 10-5 victory and split the crucial conference doubleheader.

Saints starting pitcher Charlie Digiulian allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits in 3.2 innings pitched. He struck out three Spartans. Jake Brown matched Digiulian as he pitched 3.2 innings, allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Blake earned the win as he gave up one run on three hits in 1.2 innings of work.

For the Spartans, Goodman pitched great in the no decision, allowing three runs on five hits in seven innings of work. Miele suffered the loss as he gave up seven runs, five earned, on four hits in one inning pitched. Wolf gave up one hit in one inning of relief.

Blake led the Saints with three hits while Calderon added two. Five other Saints recorded a hit in the win. Calderon tallied three RBI while Savage knocked in two. Blake, Adamus, and Darrow notched an RBI for the Saints.

Mohollen and Brosius led the Spartans with two hits each. Steffy, Wenzel, Miele, and Mohollen recorded an RBI for the Spartans in the loss.

The Spartans are back at it on Tuesday afternoon as they travel to Penn State-Harrisburg to face the Lions in a Capital Athletic Conference make up contest from Friday. First pitch in Middletown is slated for 3:30 pm.

Game recap written by Sean Naylor – Athletic Communications Student Assistant

Christian Bilan photo courtesy of Scott Guise - Dir. of Athletic Communication