YORK, PA – The York College softball squad opened their 2024 home campaign with a sweep to Misericordia University on a crisp Tuesday afternoon in York.
The Spartans won game one 14-6 and then posted a come-from-behind win, 3-2, in the nightcap. York extends their win streak to five.
York is now 11-4 overall while the Cougars are now 11-5.
 
Game One
Runs: York 14 – Misericordia 6
Hits: York 12; Misericordia 6
Errors: York 1; Misericordia 0
LOB: York 5; Misericordia 13
WP: Natalie Rietema (4-3); LP: Erin McGee (2-1)
 
How It Happened
• The game started with offensive fireworks over the first two innings. The Cougars scored a run on two hits and two walks to take the 1-0 lead. They left the bases loaded, a theme that would carry throughout the game.
• The Spartans took the lead in the bottom of the first as Emma Wade stroked a two-run double to deep left center to give York the 2-1 lead. Alexis McDonaugh made it 3-1 with sacrifice fly to center, scoring Daphney Adams.
• The Cougars answered with three runs of their own in the top of the second inning. The rally started with two outs as a walk and a double plated the first run of the inning. Then another walk followed by a two-run single from Mackenzie Fizer gave the Cougars a temporary 4-3 lead.
• York took the lead for good in the bottom of the second as Gretchen Barstad ripped a three-run homer off the scoreboard in left to give York a 6-4 lead.
• After Misericordia left the bases loaded in the fourth, the Spartans got another three-run homer, this time from Adams as the Spartans catcher launched a bomb to left as the Spartan lead grew to 9-4.
• The Cougars got a pair of runs back in the top of the fifth. They scored one run on a bases loaded walk and a second on an infield single to third. Misericordia left the bases loaded for the third inning in the game.
• The Spartans ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with a five-run outburst. The inning started with a Barstad walk. She came around to score on an Adams double to left center. After a Wade walk, McDonaugh single to center to score another run. A walk to Bri McKeown and an Emma Keller hit by pitch plated Wade for the 12-6 lead. Misericordia got a strike out and a pop up before Rylee Dreyer ended the game with a two-run single to right, invoking the eight-run mercy rule.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Daphney Adams: 4-for-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI, HR, 2B
Gretchen Barstad: 2-for-2, 4 runs, 3 RBI, 2 BB, HR
Emma Wade: 2-for-2, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Alexis McDonaugh: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
Rylee Dreyer: 1-for-4, 1 run, 2 RBI
 
Spartan Pitching
Natalie Rietema: 6.0 IP, 6 hits, 6 runs, 6 ER, 7 K, 12 BB, 1 HB (Win, 4-3)
 
Game Two
Runs: York 3 – Misericordia 2
Hits: York 7; Misericordia 5
Errors: York 2; Misericordia 0
LOB: York 5; Misericordia 9
WP: Kyrsten Coppage (7-1); LP: Jennifer Milisits (4-3)
 
How It Happened
• The Cougars took the lead in the top of the first without a benefit of a base hit as they got a walk, a hit batter, another walk and then a wild pitch to score the run. York had a pair of runners on in the second but would strand both as the Cougars maintained the 1-0 lead.
• Spartan starter Kyrsten Coppage got into trouble in the top of the fifth but the poised freshman got a strikeout, a foul out and a ground out to get out of the jam and keep the Spartans down one. The Cougars got their first two runners on again in the sixth but again, Coppage came up big by retiring the next three hitters, setting the stage for a Spartan comeback in the bottom of the inning.
• The Spartans got all the runs they needed in the bottom of the sixth. Rylee Dreyer opened the inning with a single to right. After a line out and a pop up, Emma Wade walked to put runners at first and second. Alexis McDonaugh gave the Spartans the lead with a double just inside the right field line near the wall, scoring Dreyer and Wade. Bri McKeown gave the Spartans a huge insurance run as she scored McDonaugh from second with an RBI single as York led 3-1.
• The Cougars made it interesting in the seventh as they got an unearned run to make it 3-2 with one out. Nikki Elliot doubled to left center to put the tying run at second with one out. Coppage got a line out to center and then a strikeout to end the game and complete the sweep.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Rylee Dreyer: 2-for-3, 1 run
Alexis McDonaugh: 2-for-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2B
Emma Wade: 1-for-2, 1 run, BB
Bri McKeown: 1-for-2, 1 RBI, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Kyrsten Coppage: 7.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 ER, 10 K, 5 BB, HB (Win, 7-1)
 
Spartan Notes
York is now 10-8 all-time against Misericordia as they snapped a four-game losing streak against the Cougars with three of those losses coming in 2023 … the Spartans 14 runs in game one is their second-high total of the year (17 at Stevens in both games) … the two home runs in game one tied a season-high … York got hit by a season-high three pitches in game one … the Spartan hitters struck out just four times in the two games while they drew 11 walks … the Spartan pitching staff walked 17 Cougar hitters in the two games while they also had 17 strikeouts in the two games … York allowed just one extra base hit in each game … Misericordia stranded 13 runners in game one and nine more in game two … Spartan pitching staff threw a combined 322 pitches in the twin bill … Gretchen Barstad notched her team-leading eighth multi-hit game in game one while Emma Wade notched her seventh multi-hit game of the year in the opener … Daphney Adams and Wade each had their sixth multi-RBI games in the first game … Barstad is riding a 13-game reached base streak while Bri McKeown has a current 11 game streak of reaching base safely … Kyrsten Coppage set a new career-high with 10 strikeouts in the nightcap.
 
Up Next
The Spartans continue their season-high eight game home stand on Saturday afternoon as they host Eastern University in a MAC Commonwealth twin bill. The Eagles enter the game 13-2 having won nine straight. Game one of the doubleheader is set for a 1:00 pm start.