YORK, Pa. - The York College softball team opened the long-awaited 2021 season with a doubleheader sweep of Messiah on Saturday at Spartan Stadium. Also making their MAC Commonwealth debut, the Spartans earned a 1-0 walk-off victory in eight innings in game one and rolled to a 5-1 victory in game two.

Team records:

Messiah 2-4 (2-4 MAC)

York 2-0 (2-0 MAC)

Game 1

York 1, Messiah 0 - 8 innings

WP: Taylor Lindsay (1-0)

LP: Madison Walter (1-1)

How it happened:

Both offenses struggled to gain momentum as the two teams combined to put runners in scoring position just three times through the first seven innings. Messiah had a quality chance to break up the shutout in the fifth as Elianna Litwin roped a triple to left center with just one out, but Taylor Lindsay buckled down to get a strikeout and an infield pop-up to work out of the jam.

The game boiled down to the bottom of the eight where Daphney Adams led off the inning with a double and sparked a Spartan rally. A Messiah error allowed Ellie Denlinger to reach base safely and Natalie Decena loaded the bases with a single up the middle. The Falcons caught a break as Taylor Coon squibbed a pitch up the third-base line which allowed them to get the force out at home for the first out. With the bases still loaded, the pressure became too much as Madison Walter walked Alyssa Harhigh on five pitches, which allowed Denlinger to advance from third for the game-winning run.

Game One Audio Highlights courtesy of Darrell Henry - The Voice of the Spartans

Game 2

York 5, Messiah 1

WP: Shyla Pastore (1-0)

LP: Brynne Baker (1-2)

How it happened:

Riding the momentum from the game one victory, the Spartans wasted little time getting on the board as Syla Pastore poked an RBI-single to right center to drive in Elle Meyer from second. Adams led off the second inning with a home run and Emily Netterville helped extend the Spartan lead in the third as her single led to a Messiah error which allowed Harhigh to score from second.

Pastore worked out of jams in the first and fourth innings, recording assists from inside the circle in both innings as she held Messiah scoreless through six innings. The versatile pitcher received further insurance in the fifth inning as the Spartan bats came to life again. Pastore helped her own cause with a single and Harhigh followed with a walk to set the table for Netterville who came through with a clutch two-run double to right center.

The Falcons managed to scratch a run across in the seventh to spoil Pastore's shutout bid and end a streak of 14-and-a-third scoreless innings put together by the Spartan pitching staff.

Game Two Audio Highlights courtesy of Darrell Henry - The Voice of the Spartans

Up Next:

York completes the weekend series with a trip up to Messiah for Sunday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Notes:

York is now 4-0 on opening day under head coach Kaitlyn Dulac in the past two seasons … the Spartans are now 2-for-2 all-time in their new conference debuts, as they defeated Gallaudet, 13-10, in 1991 when they joined the CAC … York posted their first doubleheader sweep in a conference-opener since 2018 … Taylor Lindsay posted a career-best 13 strikeouts in game one as she tossed the third complete-game shutout of her career … Shyla Pastore recorded a career-high seven strikeouts in her game two victory … Emily Netterville led the Spartans with two RBI on the day … Daphney Adams paced the Spartans with a pair of extra-base hits on the day, including the team's first home run of the season.