YORK, PA – The York College Spartan softball squad was swept by Messiah University in a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader on a very windy Saturday in York.
The Falcons won game one 9-1 and completed the sweep with a 2-0 win in the nightcap. To add insult to injury, the Spartans were no-hit in game two.
The Spartans have now lost three straight after winning seven in a row prior to the Tuesday loss to Gettysburg.
York is now 18-8 overall and 7-3 in the league while the Falcons take sole possession of second place as they are 18-12 overall and 8-2 in the league. The Falcons are now one game back of Eastern University as the Eagles are 9-1 in the Commonwealth. Messiah has now won seven straight with the sweep.
 
Game One
Runs: York 1 – Messiah 9
Hits: York 6; Messiah 8
Errors: York 6; Messiah 0
LOB: York 6; Messiah 11
WP: Lydia Collison (8-4); LP: Natalie Rieteman (9-5)
 
How It Happened
• The Falcons benefited from some shoddy Spartan defense in the top of the first. The Falcons got a run on two errors as they seized the early lead. York tied the game in a more conventional manner as they scored a run on two hits. Morgan Sauers singled to open the inning. Rylee Dreyer was hit byt a pitch. After a line out to short, Daphney Adams ripped a double to right center, scoring Sauers. However, the Spartans couldn't make it a bigger inning as Messiah starter Lydia Collison got a strikeout and a foul out to strand Spartans at second and third.
• After a scoreless second and third inning, the Falcons blew the game open with a six spot in the fourth. The Falcons got six runs on just four hits with a trio of Spartan errors, two walks and a hit batter as Messiah led 7-1 after three and a half innings of play.
• That would be more than enough for Collison as the right-hander stymied the Spartans over the final six innings as she kept the Green and White off the board. Collison allowed just one run on six hits with seven strikeouts and one walk to earn her eighth win.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Gretchen Barstad: 2-for-3
Morgan Sauers: 1-for-4, 1 run
Daphney Adams: 1-for-3, 1 RBI
 
Spartan Pitching
Natalie Rietema: 7.0 IP, 8 hits, 9 runs, 3 ER, 8 K, 8 BB, 2 HB (Loss, 9-5)
 
Game Two
Runs: York 0 – Messiah 2
Hits: York 0; Messiah 5
Errors: York 3; Messiah 2
LOB: York 4; Messiah 5
WP: Fallon Feaser (6-1); LP: Kyrsten Coppage (9-2)
 
How It Happened
• Both starting pitchers were sharp from the start of game two. The Falcons got a base runner early but Spartan starter Kyrsten Coppage buckled down and got out of the inning without allowing a run.
• Coppage retired nine straight before Kandice Schlabach double to right center with one out in the fourth. Schlabach moved to third on a wild pitch but Coppage got a foul out and Morgan Sauers made a sensational play on a shallow fly ball behind third to end of the inning.
• While Coppage was retiring Falcons, Messiah starter Fallon Feaser was mowing down the Spartans as she was perfect through five. The Falcons finally got to Coppage in the sixth as Paige Eakes led off the frame with a single. Hannah Dyer laid down a bunt single and then stole second to put Falcons at second and third with no outs. After a shallow fly out to right for out number one, the Falcons finally got on the board with Schlabach single off the glove of Coppage. Schlabach stole second and then the Falcons loaded the bases on a fielder's choice where the Spartans couldn't get an out. The Falcons' second run came on a fielder's choice as they took a 2-0 lead to the bottom of the second.
• The Spartans threatened in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a pair of Messiah defensive miscues. The Spartans had runners at first and second with no outs but Feaser retired the next three hitters to escape the jam.
• Gretchen Barstad drew a lead off walk in the bottom of the seventh but Feaser got the next two Spartans before a walk to Alexis McDonaugh put Spartans at first and second. The Falcons freshman closed out the no-no with a fly out to center.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Gretchen Barstad: 0-for-2, BB
Alexis McDonaugh: 0-for-2, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Kyrsten Coppage: 7.0 IP, 2 runs, 2 ER, 3 K, 0 BB, 1 WP, 1 HB (Loss, 9-2)
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans fall to 22-31 all-time against the Falcons as Messiah has won five of the last eight games … the Spartans have allowed 25 runs during their three game losing streak … the Spartans have made a staggering 16 errors in their last three games as just 12 of their 25 runs allowed are earned … York now has committed 49 errors in 26 games, an average of 1.9 errors per game … the Spartans continued the disturbing trend of issuing free passes as they have walked 15 hitters in their last three games and now have issued 123 walks in their 26 games … Gretchen Barstad recorded her team-leading 15^th multi-hit game in the opener … Barstad extended her reached base safely streak to 24 with her seventh inning walk in game two while Alexis McDonaugh pushed her streak to 20 with her seventh inning free pass … the shutout loss was York's second of the season, the first coming in their 2-0 setback at Scranton on March 7.
 
Up Next
The Spartans head out on the road on Sunday as they head to Salisbury, Maryland to face the #2 ranked Sea Gulls. Game one on Sunday is set for a 1:30 pm start.