OWINGS MILLS, MD – The York College baseball team picked up an important road win on Friday as they downed Stevenson University 12-7 in the opening game of a three-game MAC Commonwealth weekend series.
The Spartans scored early and then added insurance late as they moved back up to the .500 mark for the year.
 
Records: York 10-10 (6-4 MACC); Stevenson 10-7 (4-3 MACC)
Runs: York 12; Stevenson 7
Hits: York 14; Steveson 15
Errors: York 1; Stevenson 0
WP: Ethan Kennedy (2-1); LP: Matt Reich (2-2); Save: AJ Vincenzi (2)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans struck first in the top of the second. Brendan Martin started the uprising with a one-out double to left. He came around to score on a Chris Betler triple to right to put York up 1-0. Betler scored on a Lucas Prendergast single to center. After a strikeout, Robby Elzinga scored Prendergast with an RBI double to left. Elzinga then scored on Gabe Trevena's double to right for the 4-0 Spartan lead. Tommy Holcomb got one of those runs back with a solo homer to right for the Mustangs in the bottom of the inning.
• The Mustangs got another run in the bottom of the third as the Spartan lead was 4-2. York quickly got that run back plus one as Prendergast walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Brian Jakubek sacrifice bunt. Prendergast walked home from third as Elzinga blasted a two-run shot to right center, pushing the lead to 6-2.
• Stevenson answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a two run double from Brandon Perillo. The Mustangs trimmed the Spartan lead to one at 6-5 in the sixth on a Jonathan Brandt RBI double to left center.
• York added a single run in the eighth on an Elzinga RBI single. The Green and White then exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth to put the game away. The ninth inning scoring was started by a Jacob Deimling two run double down the right field line. After Martin single put runners at the corner, Betler bombed a three-run homer that pushed the lead to 12-5.
• The Mustangs got a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth and left the bases loaded as York escaped with the 12-7 win.

Spartan Offensive Leaders
Robby Elzinga: 3-for-5, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, BB
Chris Betler: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 3B, HR, BB
Jacob Deimline: 2-for-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Brendan Martin: 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2B
Lucas Prendergast: 2-for-4, 3 runs, 1 RBI, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Zach Reed: 4.0 IP, 9 hits, 4 ER, 2 K, 0 BB, 1 HB
Ethan Kennedy: 3.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 7 K, 3 BB
AJ Vincenzi: 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 5 K, 3 BB

Spartan Notes
The Spartans have now won six straight against the Mustangs as they are 31-11 all-time against their neighbors to the south … senior Robby Elzinga joined the 100 career hit club with his second inning double … Elzinga got his 100^th hit in his 80^th career game … Elzinga tied a career high with three hits in the win while he also set a new career high with four RBI and seven total bases … Chris Betler blasted his third home run of the year while he also had a triple for a career-high seven total bases while his four RBI were also a career high … grad student AJ Vincenzi earned his second save of the season and his sixth career save … junior Ethan Kennedy tallied a career-high seven strikeouts in his three innings of work … York is now 5-6 on the road for the year … York is now 9-1 when scoring ten runs or more in a game and 8-4 when they score first … the Spartans have hit six home runs in their last four games … York struck out a season-high 13 times … the Spartan pitching staff walked a season-high tying six but also tied a season high with 14 strikeouts.
 
Up Next
The teams resume the three-game series on Sunday afternoon in York with a doubleheader. The games were originally scheduled for Saturday but the forecast of rain and high winds necessitated the move to Sunday. Game one at Jaquet Field is set for a 12:00 pm start on Sunday. York will play five of their next six games at home.