READING, PA – The York College baseball team captured a critical series win at Alvernia on Saturday with a doubleheader split in Reading. The Golden Wolves earned a 1-0 win in the opener while the Spartans won a wild game two, 11-8, in ten innings.
The Spartans, who were on the brink of elimination from the MAC Commonwealth tournament, earned the tournament's fourth seed with the game two win. The Golden Wolves will be the tournament's second seed and face Hood in the opening round.
The Spartans are now 19-17 overall and 11-10 in the Commonwealth. Alvernia is now 24-15 overall and 15-6 in the league.
 
Game One
Runs: York 0 – Alvernia 1
Hits: York 4; Alvernia 2
Errors: York 0; Alvernia 0
LOB: York 8; Alvernia 1
WP: Jason Kelly (2-0); LP: Brandon Purdy (3-6); Save: Brad Coley (5)
 
How It Happened
• The Golden Wolves got the only run they would need in the bottom of the second inning. Matt Edwards double down the left field line to lead off the inning. After a ground out to second allowed Edwards to go to third, Bobby Hansen flied out to center for a sacrifice fly. 
• The Spartans best chance to score may have come in the first inning as they had runners at second and third with one out but Alvernia starter Jason Kelly got a strikeout out and a fly out to end the inning.
• The missing offense was unfortunate for starter Brandon Purdy as he threw one of the best games of his Spartan career. He retired the last 14 batters he faced as he tossed a complete game. Purdy allowed the one run on two hits with one strikeout and no walks.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Gabe Trevena: 2-for-4
Andrew Santarpia: 1-for-3
Jacob Deimling: 1-for-2, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Brandon Purdy: 6.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB (Loss, 3-6)
 
Game Two
Runs: York 11 – Alvernia 8 (10 innings)
Hits: York 15; Alvernia 14
Errors: York 4; Alvernia 2
LOB: York 12; Alvernia 12
WP: Ethan Kennedy (3-2); LP: Brody DeGroodt (0-3)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans jumped on the Golden Wolves early with a first inning run. Chris Betler scored Lucas Prendergast with a sacrifice fly to center for the 1-0 lead. Alvernia responded with two runs in the bottom of the second on a Bobby Hansen RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Garrett Hunter.
• Both teams got single runs in the third. York's run came on a Connor Pickle RBI single to score Robby Elzinga. Alvernia's Jason Kelly singled to center and Mike Ramundo scored on a Spartan error to give the Golden Wolves a 3-2 lead.
• York got another single tally in the fourth as Gabe Trevena notched an RBI single to second to score Brett DeWees,tying the game at three. York took a 5-3 lead in the fifth as Betler was hit by a pitch and scored on a Pickle two-run shot to right, his second home run of the year.
• Both teams scored single runs in the sixth as the Spartan lead was 6-4. The Golden Wolves put together a big inning in the seventh as they scored three runs on four hits with one error. Mike Ramundo, Matt Edwards and Ben Houghton all had RBI's during the inning.
• Suddenly, the Spartans were playing for their playoff lives. The results around the league dictated that they needed to win the game to make the tournament as a loss would have knocked them out of the playoffs. The Spartans got one runner on in the eighth but would not be able to do anything with the hit.
• Alvernia got the first out of the ninth on a strikeout. Michael Tinneny walked and Chris Nesensohn was called on to pinch run for the Spartans. Betler was hit by a pitch to push Nesensohn to second with one out. Pickle moved his two teammates up 90 feet with a ground out to second but there were now two outs. The Spartans then got a huge break as Alvernia closer Brad Coley uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Nesensohn to trot home with the tying run. Coley eventually got out of the inning without any further damage.
• The bottom of the ninth was a little hairy as Edwards singled to lead off the frame. Houghton sacrificed Jones to second and Hansen followed with a ground out. The Spartans looked like they were out of the inning but an error put Golden Wolves at the corners with two outs. Ethan Kennedy got the final out of the inning with a line out to right, forcing the top of the tenth.
• The Spartans got it rolling in the top of the tenth. Elzinga gave the Spartans the lead with a bases loaded single to center for the 8-7 lead. Luke Moser, who had come into the game in the ninth, ripped a two-run single down the right field line for the 10-7 Spartan lead. Elzinga came in to score on a fielder's choice for the fourth and final run of the inning.
• The Golden Wolves got a single run back on a Kelly double to left but Kennedy closed out the game with a fly out to right.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Robby Elzinga: 3-for-5, 2 runs, RBI, BB, SB
Gabe Trevena: 2-for-6, run, RBI
Connor Pickle: 2-for-6, run, 3 RBI, HR
Michael Tinneny: 2-for-4
Jacob Deimling: 2-for-6
Brett DeWees: 2-for-5, 2 runs
Luke Moser: 1-for-1, 2 RBI
 
Spartan Pitching
Bryce Shaffer: 3.0 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 ER, 3 K, 2 BB
Dillon Michaloski: 3.0 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 4 ER, 2 K, 2 BB
Ethan Kennedy: 4.0 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, I IBB (Win, 3-2)
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans improve to 19-11 overall as York won the series two games to one … the Spartans will face top seeded Messiah in next weekend's MAC Commonwealth semifinals in Grantham … the Falcons finished the conference campaign 19-2 and are 31-8 overall … Messiah took two of three in the regular season series … in game one, the Spartans were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-14 with runners on base … in game two, the Spartans were 13-for-34 against left-handed pitchers … York was 7-for-19 with runners in scoring position and were 2-for-4 with the bases loaded … York is now 20-for-65 (.308) with the bases loaded this year … York now has 105 two-out RBI for the year as Chris Betler and Michael Tinneny each have 18 for the year … York is hitting .645 (80-for-124) with a runner on third and less than two outs … York was shutout for the second time this year in the opener … the four hits in the opener were a season-low for York and also was the first time this year they did not have at least one extra base hit … York drew seven walks and struck out just seven times in the two games … York's four game two errors are the most since they made five in the 11-6 win over Widener on April 7 … York finished the year winning three MAC Commonwealth series with two sweeps while they lost series to Eastern (1-2), Widener (1-2), Hood (0-3) and Messiah (1-2) … Gabe Trevena picked up a pair of multi-hit games as he now has 14 for the year … York had six players bang out multiple hits in game two as Robby Elzinga (13 games), Michael Tinney (15 games), Connor Pickle (11 hits), Jacob Deimling (2 games), and Brett DeWees (4 games) all had multiple hit games … Deimling owns the longest current hit streak at five while Trevena is at four games … Luke Moser notched his fourth multi-hit game of the year in the nightcap while Pickle posted his sixth multi-RBI game … Lucas Prendergast extended his reached base safely streak to 26 games while Pickle is at 16 games … Elzinga (15 games) and Trevena (11 games) also have current reached safely streaks going … Brandon Purdy has been tagged with losses in back-to-back games but he has been outstanding … Purdy has thrown 13 innings in his last two outings … he has allowed just four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and just one walk.
 
Up Next
The Spartans return to action on Monday afternoon as they head to Shenandoah to face the nationally ranked Hornets. Game time in Winchester, Virginia is set for 3:00 pm.