YORK, PA – The York College baseball team had an offensive awakening on Saturday as they swept Widener in a key MAC Commonwealth doubleheader at Jaquet Field.
The Spartans won game one 27-12 and then completed the sweep with a 10-6 win in the night cap. York snaps a three-game losing skid while sweep terminated the Pride's three-game winning streak.
 
Records: York 10-11 (2-2 MAC), Widener 10-13 (2-2 MAC)
Game One
Runs: York 27, Widener 12
Hits: York 23, Widener 11
Errors: York 2, Widener 1
WP: Steven Hendrix (1-5), LP: Sean Curran (0-1)
 
How It Happened
• York opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Jack Barry launched an absolute bomb to right center giving the Green and White a 1-0 lead. The Pride responded with an RBI ground out from Nick Barenz, tying the score at one in the top of the second.
• The Spartans began an offensive onslaught in the bottom of the third as they plated six runs. Austin Denlinger opened the scoring in the inning with an RBI triple to right center, scoring Robby Elzinga. Barry then blasted a moonshot to center, a two-run blast to put the Spartans up 4-0. Brendan Martin then tripled to right center to score Joe Capobianco. Martin strolled home two pitches later on a wild pitch. Michael Tinneny made it 7-0 on a solo shot to right for his first collegiate home run.
• The Green and White kept rolling in the fourth as Barry added to the lead with a two-run single to right as the lead grew to 9-1. Martin made it 10-1 as he was plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded, a theme that would continue through the remainder of the day. Tinneny pushed the lead to 11-1 with a sacrifice fly.
• The Pride got an unearned run on the passed ball in the fifth but York put the game away in the bottom of the inning with a 10 run inning. Capobianco had a two run single to start the inning. Robby Elzinga had a two run single and then came home on a three-run laser home run down the left field by Denlinger to make it 21-2 York.
• The Pride scored two in the top of the sixth but York responded with five more runs in the bottom of the frame highlighted by a two-run home from Chris Betler.
• York scored one in the seventh and then the Pride tallied eight in the top of the ninth to make the final score appear much closer than it was.
• York starter Steven Hendrix was outstanding as he went six innings, allowing three earned runs with seven strikeouts and one walk on six hits despite having to sit through the Spartans' three very long innings while he was in the game. Sophomore Sam Gardner also pitched well with two shutout innings as he allowed just one hit and one walk during his outing.
 
Spartan Offense Leaders
Jack Barry: 4-for-4, 4 runs, 5 RBI, 2 HR, 2B
Austin Denlinger: 3-for-4, 4 runs, 4 RBI, HR, 3B
Robby Elzinga: 3-for-5, 3 runs, 2 RBI
Joe Capobianco: 3-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI, BB
Brian Jakubek: 3-for-4, 4 runs, 2 RBI
Michael Tinneny: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR
Brendan Martin: 1-for-1, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 3B, 4 HBP
 
Spartan Pitching
Steven Hendrix: 6.0 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 ER, 7 K, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 2 WP
Sam Gardner: 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 K, 1 BB
Joey DiQuollo: 1.0 IP, 4 hits, 8 runs, 4 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, 2 WP, 1 HB
 
Game Two
Runs: York 10, Widener 6
Hits: York 12, Widener 9
Errors: York 1, Widener 1
WP: Brandon Purdy (2-1), LP: Joey Norton (2-2), Save: AJ Vincenzi (1)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartan offense kept rolling in game two as they put up two runs in the bottom of the second as Robby Elzinga drove in a pair with a two out single to center. Elzinga's hit was set up by a great at bat from Emidio Bucci as he had a fantastic plate appearance to draw a walk to load the bases before Elzinga's run scoring knock.
• York added four more in the third as Michael Tinneny had a sacrifice fly followed by a Garrett Kile RBI single to short. Elzinga capped the inning with a two-run single to left for the 6-0 Spartan lead.
• The Pride got on the board in the fifth for two runs as they finally reached Spartan starter Brandon Purdy. Purdy had held Widener hitless through the first four innings.
• York manufactured a run in the sixth as Austin Denlinger tripled for the second time on the day and scored on a Jack Barry RBI ground out.
• Widener made things interesting in the top of the eighth with back-to-back home runs from Bryce Fremgen and Stephen Posner, cutting the Spartan lead to 7-4. AJ Vincenzi relieved Purdy and got out of the inning without any further damage.
• York got a trio of insurance runs in the eighth as Denlinger hit another line drive home run, this one hitting the scoreboard in left center. The bomb was a two-run shot that scored Elzinga who had singled in the prior at bat. Joe Capobianco doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Brendan Martin RBI single as the Spartan lead grew to 10-4.
• The Pride scored a pair in the top of the ninth but it wasn't enough as the Spartans earned the four-run win.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Robby Elzinga: 4-for-5, 1 run, 4 RBI, 2B
Austin Denlinger: 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 3B, HR
Brendan Martin: 2-for-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 2 HBP
Andrew Santarpia: 2-for-4, 1 run
 
Spartan Pitching
Brandon Purdy: 7.2 IP, 7 hits, 4 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP
AJ Vincenzi: 1.1. IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 2 K
 
Spartan Notes
York improves to 9-2 all-time against Widener and is now 5-1 against them as members of the MAC Commonwealth … senior Jack Barry continues to climb the career offensive charts after his big day … his two homers raises his school record to 39, 11 more than Mike Welch who is in second place … Barry is now has 162 RBI as he passed former Spartan great Rick Dessler (160) for second place … he is now 20 short of tying Welch for the program record of 182 … the two home runs in game one marks the sixth time in Barry's career that he has gone deep twice in a contest … Barry set a new career high with his 11 total bases in game one while he also tied a career high with four runs scored … Austin Denlinger continues to climb the career charts in triples as he now has 14 for his career which ties him for fourth all-time with Rob Radcliffe … Denlinger is three away from tying Dressler for the school record of 17 … Denlinger is now third on the home run list with 27, one back of Welch … Robby Elzinga went a combined 7-for-10 in the doubleheader with four runs and six RBI … Elzinga had four hits in game two and he now has two games with four hits and another game with five … Elzinga has ten multiple hit games in 21 contests … junior Brian Jakubek set a new career-high with three hits while he tied a career-high with two RBI … freshmen Michael Tinneny and Chris Betler each hit their first career collegiate home runs in the game one win … Brendan Martin was hit by a school-record four pitches in game one and then followed that up by getting hit two more times in game two … Martin has now been hit by nine pitches this year … freshman Brandon Purdy went a career-high 7.2 innings in game two as he improved to 2-1 … sophomore Sam Gardner threw a career-high 2.0 innings in game one as he faced a career-high eight hitters … the Spartans scored 27 runs in game one and that's the first time they have reached that total since March 6, 2009 when they shutout Gallaudet 27-0 in Washington, DC.
 
Up Next
The Spartans return to action on Sunday afternoon as they host Franklin & Marshall in a non-conference contest. First pitch at Jaquet Field is set for 1:00 pm.