YORK, PA – The York College baseball squad picked up a much needed 8-3 MAC Commonwealth win on Friday over Alvernia at Jaquet Field. The Spartans snapped an eight-game losing streak with the win as they are in the chase for the final Commonwealth playoff spot.
The Spartans are now 18-16 overall and 10-9 in the conference while the Golden Wolves are 23-14 overall and 14-5 in the Commonwealth.
 
Runs: York 8 – Alvernia 3
Hits: York 14; Alvernia 10
Errors: York 0; Alvernia 0
LOB: York 13; Alvernia 8
WP: Jason Cassidy (2-0); LP: Michael Andrew (2-2)
 
How It Happened
• The Golden Wolves struck first as Ben Houghton cleared the wall in left center for a 1-0 Golden Wolves lead with one out in the second inning. The Spartans got that back and one more in the bottom of the inning. Chris Betler began the uprising with a one out walk. Connor Pickle followed with a hit by pitch. Andrew Santarpia singled to center to load the bases. Jacob Deimling tied the game as he drew a bases loaded walk. Brett DeWees made it 2-1 with a sacrifice fly to score Pickle.
• The game stayed 2-1 until the fifth when Robby Elzinga walked, moved to second on a Michael Tinneny single to right. After a Betler line out to second, Pickle came up with a big two-out single to center to score Elzinga for the 3-1 Spartan lead.
• The Golden Wolves got to Spartan starter Evan Hughes as he allowed a pair of two-out RBI hits to tie the game in the sixth. Jason Cassidy relieved Hughes and got the final out of the inning but the game was tied at three.
• The Spartans wasted little time in getting back on top as DeWees double to right center with one out in the bottom of the frame. Lucas Prendergast singled through the right side to score DeWees from second as the Green and White recaptured the lead. York added to the lead in the seventh as Santarpia scored Betler with an RBI single, pushing the lead to 5-3.
• The Spartans put the game out of reach in the eighth with a three-run frame. Elzinga drew a one out walk and motored to third on a Tinneny single to left. Betler scored Elzinga with a sharp single to left for the 6-3 lead. After a fly out, Santarpia loaded the bases with a single to left. Deimling then scored a pair with an opposite field double to left center for the final 8-3 Spartan margin of victory.
• Cassidy navigated the ninth inning as he allowed a pair of pinch hit singles but got a strikeout to end the game. Both Cassidy and Hughes were very good on the bump on Friday. Hughes allowed three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 5.2 innings. Cassidy threw the final 3.1 innings of the game as he did not allow a run on two hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Michael Tinneny: 3-for-5, run
Andrew Santarpia: 3-for-5, RBI
Lucas Prendergast: 2-for-5, RBI
Chris Betler: 2-for-4, 3 runs, RBI, BB
Jacob Deimling: 1-for-4, 3 RBI, 2B
Brett DeWees: 1-for-3, run, RBI, SF, 2B
 
Spartan Pitching
Evan Hughes: 5.2 IP, 8 hits, 3 runs, 3 ER, 4 K, 1 BB, HP
Jason Cassidy: 3.1 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 K, 1 BB, WP (Win, 2-0)
 
Spartan Notes
York is now 18-10 all-time against Alvernia … the Spartans need one win in Saturday's doubleheader to guarantee a berth in the Commonwealth tournament but could also get in with some help in some of the other conference games … the Spartans are now 9-6 at home with one game remaining at Jaquet Field on the schedule … York entered the game hitting just .299 against left-handers for the year but the Spartans but York had seven hits against the Alvernia lefties … the Spartans went 7-for-13 in at-bats against Golden Wolves right-handers in the win … York was 8-for-19 with runners in scoring position in Friday's win … Alvernia had eight pitchers follow starter Chris Sasso who threw the first five innings of the game for the Golden Wolves … none of the relievers threw more than two thirds of an inning … Alvernia second baseman Mike Ramundo had a 16-pitch at bat against Evan Hughes in the third inning … Ramundo's at-bat resulted in a ground out to second … the Spartans played an error-free game and that's the eighth clean game of the year and they are now 6-2 when not making an error in a game … the Spartans earned their fifth win of the year when their opponent scores first … York is 10-2 when holding an opponent between three and five runs … the Spartans are now 17-1 when out-hitting an opponent … York is now 13-1 when leading after six innings of play … York is 4-6 versus left handed starters for the year … Chris Betler recorded his team-high 21^st multi-hit game of the year while Michael Tinneny (14), Andrew Santarpia (12), and Lucas Prendergast (15) all had multi-hit games for the Green and White … Prendergast owns the team's longest active hitting streak at six games … Jacob Deimling notched his third multi-RBI game game of the year with this three RBI in the win … Prendergast ran his reached base safely streak to 24 while Betler's active streak is at 23 games … Connor Pickle (14 games) and Robby Elzinga (13 games) also have current double digit streaks.
 
Up Next
The two squad conclude the MAC Commonwealth regular season with a Saturday doubleheader in Reading. Game one at Alvernia is set for noon.