ASHLAND, VA – The York College baseball team got the bats going in game two of the non-conference doubleheader against the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets which led to the split as they dropped the opener 6-0 before winning the nightcap 7-2 Saturday afternoon at Estes Park in Ashland, Virginia.

The Spartans are now 14-20 while the 23^rd ranked Yellow Jackets are 26-10.

In game one, the Yellow Jackets came out firing as Yellow Jacket pitcher James Walsh struck out the Spartan side in order in the top of the first. In the bottom half, Rick Spiers led off with a double down the left field line. Nate Meiners then flied out to right field, advancing Spiers to third. The Yellow Jackets took the 1-0 lead as Spiers scored on a sacrifice fly to center field from Nick Maiolo.

The Yellow Jackets expanded their lead to two as Mitchell Keeler led off the bottom of the second with a solo shot to left field.

As Walsh retired the Spartan side in order in the top of the third, the Yellow Jacket broke the game open in the bottom half. After Spiers grounded out, Spartan pitcher Matt Goodman (Owings Mills, Md. / Franklin) allowed five straight Yellow Jacket singles, scoring three in the hit parade to give the Yellow Jackets the 5-0 lead. Spartan head coach Mike Scappa saw enough as Dan Gurganus (Prince Frederick, Md. / Huntingtown) came in to relieve Goodman. Gurganus got out of the jam, keeping the Yellow Jackets to lead to five.

In the bottom of the fifth, Maiolo led off with a home run to left field, giving the Yellow Jackets the 6-0 lead.

Walsh retired eight out of next the 10 Spartans in the remaining three innings to clinch the complete game shutout with a 6-0 victory in game one of the doubleheader.

Walsh was phenomenal, earning his seventh win of the season as he blanked the Spartans on three hits in nine innings pitched. He struck out eight in the win.

Goodman suffered the loss as he allowed five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings of work. Gurganus gave up one run on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work. He struck out two in the loss.

The Yellow Jackets knocked out 14 hits against the Spartans. Cole Migliorini recorded three hits while Stuart Brown, Herminio Azor, Spiers, Maiolo, and Keeler had two hits a piece. Meiners contributed with a hit. Keeler had three RBI while Maiolo added two RBI. Migliorini plated one Yellow Jacket in the win.

A quiet offensive day for the Spartans as they recorded three hits. Christian Bilan (Lumberton, N.J. / Camden Catholic), Scott Steffy (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown East), and J.J. Oleniacz (Great Falls, Va. / Langley) each tallied a hit in the loss.

In the nightcap, the Spartan offense started off strong. After two straight singles by Sean Mohollen (Rose Valley, Pa. / Strath Haven) and Brad Wenzel (Blandon, Pa. / Fleetwood Area) in the top of the first, Bilan reached on a fielder's choice, advancing Mohollen to third. Stephen Miele (Allentown, Pa. / Salisbury) then gave the Spartans the 2-0 lead as he roped a two-run double to right center. After Seth Brosius (Magnolia, Del. / Caesar Rodney) singled and Derek Pitzer (York, Pa. / Dallastown) was hit by a pitch, Steffy came up with bases loaded and two outs. Steffy expanded the Spartan lead to four as he smoked a two-run single to center field, scoring Brosius and Miele.

The Yellow Jackets cut the Spartan lead to three in the bottom of the first. Spiers singled to left field and advanced to third as Meiners reached on a Spartan fielder error. The Spartans traded two outs for a run as Maiolo grounded into a double play. Spartan pitcher Andrew Tucci (Birdsboro, Pa. / Daniel Boone) then got Azor to line out, ending the Yellow Jackets threat.  

Wenzel led off the top of the third with a double down the right field line. After Bilan flied out to right field, advancing Wenzel to third, Miele ripped an RBI double to right center, expanding the Spartan lead back to four.

It was déjà vu for the Spartans in the top of the fifth as Wenzel led off with another double down the right field line. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Wenzel scored as Bilan grounded out to second, giving the Spartans the 6-1 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Azor singled to right field and advanced to second as Jay Patti grounded out to second. The Yellow Jackets cut the lead to four as Azor advanced to third and eventually home on a Spartan throwing error.

Tanner Phillips came in to relieve Brandon Beiler in the bottom of the eighth for the Yellow Jackets. Pitzer drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second as Oleniacz grounded out to short. After Jake Curran relieved Phillips, Pitzer advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Logan Countryman (Baltimore, Md. / Loch Raven) then hit an RBI double down the left field line, giving the Spartans the 7-2 lead.

 Tucci earned his fifth win of the season as he allowed two runs, zero earned, on nine hits in a complete game, nine innings pitched. He struck out two.

JT Williamson suffered the loss as he allowed five runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings pitched.    

Miele led the Spartans as he was 4-for-5 with a school-record tying four doubles. He also had three RBI and a run scored. Wenzel was 3-for-5 with two runs scored while Brosius was 2-for-4 one run scored. Steffy added a hit and a pair of RBI.

Keeler led the Yellow Jackets with three hits while Spiers and Meiners added two each. Azor and Patti recorded one hit each in the loss.

The Spartans travel to Union, New Jersey on Tuesday, May 5 as they face the Kean University Cougars in non-conference action. First pitch is slated for 3:30 pm.

Game recap written by Sean Naylor – Athletic Communications Student Assistant