YORK, PA – The York College softball team split a MAC Commonwealth twin bill with Eastern University on a chilly Saturday afternoon in York. The Spartans got a 9-8 walk off win in the opener while the Eagles forged a split with an 8-3 win in the nightcap.
The Eagles scored in eight innings in the two games and in each of those innings, the Eagles got the lead-off hitter on base. In the six innings they didn't score, the Spartans did not allow a lead-off Eagle to reach base.
 
Records: York 12-7 (4-2 MAC Commonwealth); Eastern 12-8 (3-5 MAC Commonwealth)
Game One
Runs: York 9, Eastern 8
Hits: York 17, Eastern 13
Errors: York 2, Eastern 1
WP: Taylor Lindsay (9-2); LP: Victoria Perez (3-1)
 
How It Happened
• The Eagles jumped on top in game one with a two-run first inning. Eastern took advantage of a Spartan error to open the game. A safety squeeze scored the first run and a ground out scored the second. The top of the second started with a walk to Hailey Kritchen. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Susana Perez double to center.
• York got two runs back in the bottom of the second as Natalie Decena ripped a two-run single to center with two outs to cut the Eastern lead to 3-2.
• The Eagles got the two runs right back in the top of the third as Elena Iannuzzell stroked a two-out, two-run single to center to push the Eastern lead to 5-2. York got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third thanks to an Eagle error with two outs.
• Eastern tack on another run in the top of the fourth on a Tori Hook sacrifice fly.
• The Spartans started their comeback in the fifth as Kaela Fritz doubled down the left field line to score Alyssa Harhigh. Hannah Vogt then singled through the left side to score Daphney Adams to cut the Eastern lead to 6-5. York went out in front in the sixth as Adams singled to right field to score Elle Meyer, tying the game with two outs. Emma Wade then poked a single down the left field line to score Emma Keller with the go-ahead run.
• Eastern responded in the top of the seventh as they put together four hits to score two runs and take an 8-7 lead. Kelci Cost doubled down the left field line to tie the game at seven. Jania Long put the Eagles on top with an RBI single to left scoring Perez.
• The Spartans responded in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Morgan Sauers and Decena singled to put runners at first and second. A passed ball moved both Spartans up 60 feet. Meyer tied the game as she slapped a shot off third baseman Sami Britton, who was drawn in as Eastern was looking for the bunt. Sauers scored as the ball squirted away from Britton. Pinch runner Kiley Barnhart came around to end the game as Keller lifted a fly ball to shallow right. Kritchen back petaled to catch the ball but Barnhart tagged on the play and scored easily to win the game for York.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Daphney Adams: 3-for-4, 2 runs scored, RBI
Natalie Decena: 3-for-4, 2 RBI
Hannah Vogt: 2-for-3, 1 run scored, RBI
Morgan Sauers: 2-for-4, 2 runs scored
Emma Keller: 2-for-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, SF
Elle Meyer: 2-for-5, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, 2B
 
Spartan Pitching
Hannah Vogt: 6.1 IP, 11 hits, 8 runs, 6 ER, 1 K, 5 BB
Taylor Lindsay: 0.2 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB
 
Game Two
Runs: York 3, Eastern 8
Hits: York 10, Eastern 13
Errors: York 1, Eastern 3
WP: Hailey Kritchen (1-1); LP: Taylor Lindsay (9-3)
 
How It Happened
• The Eagles opened the scoring with a single run in the top of the second on a Chloe Rupe RBI single. Eastern tacked on three more runs in the top of the fourth as they loaded the bases with two outs. A walk to Elena Iannuzell plated the first run of the frame. The next two runs scored on a Susana Perez two-run single for the 4-0 lead.
• Eastern blew the game open in the fifth with a four run inning. Megan Johnson poked a two-run single down the right field line to make it 6-0. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Iannuzzell lifted a sacrifice fly to center and Perez followed with a double to right center to make it 8-0.
• York kept the game alive in in the bottom of the inning as Emma Keller was hit by a pitch and Kiley Barnhart ran for her. Alyssa Harhigh blasted a double off the wall and Barnhart looked like she was thrown out at the plate. However, Eagle catcher Susana Perez was called for obstruction and the run counted. Harhigh would eventually score on an Emma Wade sacrifice fly, keeping the game alive for York.
• York closed out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Natalie Decena blasted a solo home run to left off the scoreboard, cutting the Spartan deficit to 8-3. The Spartans got the first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh but a fly out, a groundout and a strikeout ended the game.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Kaela Fritz: 2-for-4
Natalie Decena: 1-for-1, 1 run scored, RBI, HR
Emma Wade: 1-for-3, RBI
Alyssa Harhigh: 1-for-4, 1 run scorec
 
Spartan Pitching
Taylor Lindsay: 7.0 IP, 13 hits, 8 earned runs, 2 K, 5 BB, 1 WP
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans are now 9-5 all-time against Eastern … York is now 4-4 at home and 3-3 in their last six games … York banged out 17 hits in the opener and 10 more in game two as they have reached double figures in hits in 10 games this year … York walked just one time in each game while Spartan pitching issued 11 walks combined in the two games … the Spartans have committed eight errors in their last four games … Eastern banged out 13 hits in each of the two games and scored eight runs in both contests … senior Natalie Decena blasted her first home run of the year and second of her career … Decena hasn't homered since April 14, 2019 when she hit a bomb at Christopher Newport as a freshman … Decena also tied her career high with three hits in the first game, the third time in her career that she has had three hits in a game.
 
Up Next
The Spartans continue their six-game home stand with a non-conference twin bill against Susquehanna on Tuesday afternoon at Spartan Stadium. Game one is set for a 3:00 pm start.