ANNVILLE, PA – The Spartan baseball squad saw their 2023 season come to an end as the top seeded Lebanon Valley Dutchmen got a three-run walk off home run to eliminate the Spartans 5-4 in the MAC Commonwealth semifinals on Sunday. York took a 4-2 lead in the inning hoping to force a decisive third game in the series but the Dutchmen had other ideas as they move on to the Commonwealth championship series.
 
MAC Commonwealth Semifinals – Game Two
Records: York 20-20; Lebanon Valley 26-15-1
Runs: York 4; Lebanon Valley 5
Hits: York 6; Lebanon Valley 8
Errors: York 1; Lebanon Valley 1
WP: Jeremy Tuz (2-0); LP: Ethan Kennedy (4-2)
 
How It Happened
• The Dutchmen got on the board first as Connor Smith continued his torrid hitting with a one-out single. After a fly out to right, Smith moved to second on a Jace Fetterman walk and scored on an Andrew Miles single to left center. The Dutchmen would load the bases but Spartan starter Zach Reed got a harmless fly out to end the inning and get out of the jam.
• York broke into the scoring column in the top of the fourth. Robby Elzinga led off the frame with a single up the middle. He moved to second on a failed pick-off attempt and advanced to third on the same play as pitcher Shane Stossel was charged with an error on the throw. Michael Tinneny doubled in Elzinga as the Spartans tied the game at one. Tinneny moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Bryce Shaffer infield single.
• York added two more runs in the fifth. Senior Brian Jakubek started the inning with a double to left center. After a foul out, Gabe Trevena blasted a two-run homer to left center for the 4-1 lead. Elzinga followed with a double to right center but the Dutchmen went to the pen and reliever Hunter Tipton got a line out and a pop up to get out of the frame without any further damage.
• LVC tacked on a single run in the bottom of the sixth as pinch hitter Ryan Petrucci drove in Dave Mangold for the Dutchmen's second run of the game.
• The Dutchmen bullpen shut down the Spartans over the last four innings as York was retired in order, setting the stage for the LVC comeback.
• The bottom of the ninth started with a Miles double down the right field line. Pinch hitter Luke Blair walked to put Dutchmen at first and second. Pete Botbyl flied out to left for out number one and Nico Santoro also flied out for the second out of the inning. Logan Brewer then ended York's season with a three-run homer to right to walk off the Spartans. The home run was Brewer's eighth of the season.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Robby Elzinga: 2-for-4, run, 2B
Gabe Trevena: 1-for-4, run, 2 RBI, HR
Michael Tinneny: 1-for-4, run, RBI, 2B
Bryce Shaffer: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
Brian Jakubek: 1-for-4, run, 2B
 
Spartan Pitching
Zach Reed: 5.2 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 2 K, 3 BB, WP
Ethan Kennedy: 3.0 IP, 2 hits, 3 ER, 2 K, 1 BB
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans finish the year 1-4 against the Dutchmen but still maintain the lead in the overall series 27-15 … Lebanon Valley will head to the Freedom side of the MAC next year so this was the last game between the two squads as conference foes … York reached double figures in hits in one of their last nine games as they went 3-6 over that stretch … Lebanon Valley hit their 10^th home run of the year against the Spartans in five games … senior Robby Elzinga capped a fantastic Spartan career with two hits in the loss as he concluded the year with 20 multi-hit games … Elzinga finished his career as a .378 career hitter in 100 games played for the Green and White … he had 131 hits, 85 runs scored, 29 doubles and 69 RBI … freshman Lucas Prendergast finishes the year with an active 15 game streak of reaching base safely while Elzinga has an 11 game streak … Gabe Trevena finishes the year with an active five game hit streak.
 
Up Next
The loss ends the Spartan season. The Spartans will say good bye to seniors Robby Elzinga, Brendan Martin, Brian Jakubek, Zach Reed, Emidio Bucci, and Ryan Kulick and graduate student AJ Vincenzi.