GRANTHAM, PA – The York College baseball squad used a five run ninth inning to steal a 7-5 win at Messiah University in the opening round of the MAC Commonwealth tournament on Thursday in Grantham, PA. York advances to face top seeded Lebanon Valley College in the tournament semifinals
 
MAC Commonwealth Tournament – 4/5 Play-In Game
Records: York 20-18; Messiah 19-20-1
Runs: York 7; Messiah 5
Hits: York 14; Messiah 10
Errors: York 1; Messiah 2
WP: Ethan Kennedy (4-1); LP: Noah Barrall (5-1); Save: AJ Vincenzi (4)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans opened the scoring in the third with a two-out uprising. Lucas Prendergast singled up the middle and moved to second on a wild pitch in the scoreless game. Gabe Trevena tripled down the right field line to score Prendergast with the game's first run. Robby Elzinga plated Trevena with a single up the middle for the 2-0 York lead.
• Messiah got on the board in the fourth as third baseman Sam Zercher homered to right center to cut the Spartan lead in half.
• The Spartans looked like they answered with a run in the top of the fifth as Predergast walked, moved up on a bunt and appeared to score on an Elzinga single to center. The throw to the plate from Falcon center fielder Isaiah Parido was on the mark but it appeared that catcher Dustin Isanogle had blocked the plate without the ball but Prendergast was still called out as the score remained 2-1.
• Messiah tied the game in the seventh as Evan Wagaman blasted a solo home run to lead off the inning. The Falcons got a sacrifice fly later in the inning as they took a 3-2 lead after seven innings of action.
• The Spartans tied the game in the top of the ninth as Predergast continued his blistering hot day with a solo home run to right, knotting the score at three. Singles from Trevena, Elzinga and Michael Tinneny gave York a 4-3 lead. They weren't done as Elzinga would eventually score on a wild pitch for a 5-3 Spartan lead. After a double play with the bases loaded took a little air of the Spartan uprising, Luke Moser came up with the biggest hit of his young career with a two-run single to center to increase the lead to 7-3.
• The Falcons made things interesting in the ninth with two runs on three hits but closer AJ Vincenzi came out of the pen to nail down the final out to earn his fourth save of the year.
 
Spartan Leaders
Robby Elzinga: 4-for-5, 1 run, 1 RBI
Lucas Prendergast: 3-for-5, 2 runs, RBI, HR
Michael Tinneny: 3-for-4, RBI, BB, 2B
Gabe Trevena: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 3B
Luke Moser: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
 
Spartan Pitching
Brandon Purdy: 6.2 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 ER, 0 K, 0 BB
Ethan Kennedy: 2.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 3 K, 1 BB
AJ Vincenzi: 0.1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs
 
Spartan Notes
York is now 10-4 in the MAC Commonwealth tournament … the Spartans faced the Falcons in the tournament for the first time in the series … York evened the season series at two games each after the Falcons took the regular season series 2-1 … York is now 52-11 all-time against Messiah … York is now 3-2 in two-run games … the Spartans are 14-4 when scoring first in a game … York is 13-2 when out-hitting their opponents … Gabe Trevena has a hit in three straight games … Robby Elzinga had his team-best 19^th multi-hit game of the year with his season-high four hit performance in the win … freshman Lucas Prendergast registered his first career three-hit game while he now has 10 multi-hit games for the year … Prendergast also has a 13-game streak of reaching base safely, tops for the team this year … Michael Tinneny had his second three-hit game of the year in the win … freshman Luke Moser notched his first two collegiate RBIs in the win … Prendergast's ninth inning home run was his first collegiate bomb … starter Brandon Purdy registered another quality start as he threw 6.2 innings, allowing two earned runs … in his last two outings, Purdy has thrown 12.2 innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits with seven strikeouts as York is 2-0 in his last two starts.
 
Up Next
The Spartans will head to Lebanon Valley to face the top seeded Dutchmen in the Commonwealth semifinals. Game one of the best of three series is slated for Saturday afternoon at noon in Annville, PA. Games two and three, if necessary, will be held on Sunday in Annville starting at noon.