YORK, PA – The York College Spartan baseball squad suffered a 9-5 MAC Commonwealth loss to Eastern University on Thursday in game one of their three-game series.
The game marked a trio of firsts for the Green and White. It was the first time they have lost back-to-back games this year, the first home loss and the first conference loss of ther campaign.
Eagle starter Sean Cottrell handcuffed the Spartans as he tossed a career-high tying seven innings for Eastern.
The Spartans fall to 9-3 overall and 3-1 in the league. The Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak as they improve to 9-7 overall and they are also 3-1 in the conference.
 
Runs: York 5 – Eastern 9
Hits: York 10;  Eastern 14
Errors: York 1; Eastern 1
LOB: York 8; Eastern 7
WP: Sean Cottrell (4-1); LP: Brandon Purdy (2-2)
 
How It Happened
• The Eagles got off to a fast start in the top of the first inning. Thomas Kozlusky singled to open the game and Robert Del Buono followed with a single of his own. Evan Barks sacrificed his two teammates up 90 feet each. Brandon Purdy got a strikeout for out number two. However, Eastern's Garrett Friend drilled a double to right field that just went over the outstretched glove of Connor Pickle. That double gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
• The Spartans didn't get to Eagles starter Sean Cottrell until the fourth when Robby Elzinga singled up the middle to lead off the inning. He moved to second on wild pitch and then scored on a Michael Tinneny single to left center. Pickle then walked to put Spartans at first and second with just one out. Unfortunately for York, Cottrell wiggled out of the jam and got the next two Spartans to maintain the 2-1 lead.
• The Eagles wasted little time in getting that run right back in the top of the fifth. With two outs in the inning, Eastern had runners at first and third. The runner from first took off and the throw to second was in time but the throw was dropped as the Spartans couldn't get the relay back to home to nab the runner heading to the plate. They did get the runner at second after an abbreviated run down but the damage was done and the run scored.
• York sliced their deficit to one in the bottom of the fifth as Luke Moser singled and moved to second on a Lucas Prendergast sacrifice bunt. Gabe Trevena reached on a throwing error as the Spartans had runners at second and third with one out. Elzinga drove in Moser with a RBI ground out as York trailed 3-2. Cottrell coaxed a fly out to end the Spartan threat.
• The Spartans went to the pen in the seventh and the Eastern offense erupted for a game-changing four run inning. After a lead-off walk to the Eagles nine-hole hitter, Eastern ripped off four straight hits to score a trio of runs to take a 6-2 lead. The Spartans went to the pen again and the Eagles got a sacrifice fly to close out the inning but the damage was done.
• Eastern put the game away in the top of the eighth with two more runs as the lead grew to 9-2. York got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the frame as they had two runners on with two outs. Pickle singled to right to score the first run of the inning and Chris Betler followed with an RBI of his own to make it 9-4.
• York got a sacrifice fly from Elzinga to close out the scoring in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Robby Elzinga: 1-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI, SF
Gabe Trevena: 2-for-5, 2B
Chris Betler: 2-for-4, RBI
Lucas Prendergast: 1-for-3, 1 run, BB
Connor Pickle: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Brandon Purdy: 6.0 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 ER, 5 K, 2 BB (Loss, 2-2)
Lane Berkey: 0.1 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs, 4 ER, 1 BB
Jackson Kelley: 1.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 ER, 1 BB
Eric Chaney: 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs
 
Spartan Notes
York is now 12-6 all-time against the Eagles including a 6-6 mark as MAC Commonwealth opponents … the Spartans have not swung the bats like they did in their first nine games … the Spartans are hitting just .252 (25-for-99) over their last three games as they have scored just 12 runs in those three games … over their first nine games of the year, York was hitting .390 (133-for-341) and averaging 12.1 runs per game … York did manage to reach double figures in the hits in the game as they had 10 hits but nine of those knocks were singles … York has drawn just four walks in their last two games … after allowing double figures in hits twice in their first ten games, the Spartan pitching staff has surrendered 34 hits in the last two games … the nine runs allowed were a season-high for the Green and White … York allowed a season-high tying three doubles to the Eagles … junior Brandon Purdy had a quality start as the right-hander allowed three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts … the junior got stronger as the game progressed, allowing just one run over his final five innings of work … Michael Tinneny and Connor Pickle each extended their current hit streak to nine games … Robby Elzinga scored his 100^th career run and is now three hits short of 150 knocks for his career … Pickle has a 12 game reached base safely streak while Tinneny has a nine game streak of reaching base safely.
 
Up Next
The Spartans get right back at it on Friday as they head to Eastern to face the Eagles in games two and three of the series. The first pitch from St. David's, PA is set for 12:00 pm on Friday. The Spartans will then return home Sunday to host Franklin & Marshall in a non-conference make-up game at 2:00 pm.