YORK, PA – The York College softball squad closed out their 2024 home schedule with a MAC Commonwealth split with Alvernia University on a chilly Saturday in York.
The Golden Wolves won game one 6-5 before the Spartans won game two 6-5.
The Spartans are now 22-16 overall and 9-5 in the Commonwealth. The Golden Wolves are now 23-14 overall and 8-6 in the league. Both teams had already qualified for next week's Commonwealth tournament so Saturday was for seeding. The Spartans enter the tournament as the third seed while Alvernia will be the fourth seed.
 
Game One
Runs: York 5 – Alvernia 6
Hits: York 8; Alvernia 8
Errors: York 2; Alvernia 2
LOB: York 5; Alvernia 11
WP: Maggie Loomis (14-4); LP: Gretchen Barstad (0-4)
 
How It Happened
• After loading the bases with a hit and two walks and getting nothing in the first, Alvernia got on the board in the second. The Golden Wolves got a single sandwiched between two walks to load the bases with two outs. Taylor McClain drew a walk to drive in the first run of the game.
• The Spartans took over the lead in the third. Rylee Dreyer led off the inning with a bunt single. She moved to second on a ground out and scored on a Gretchen Barstad double to right center. Daphney Adams had a bunt single to put Spartans at the corners. Adams then stole second and moved to third as Emma Wade scored Barstad with an RBI ground out. Adams scored on the next play as Alexis McDonaugh reached on a dropped fly ball to right.
• Alvernia exploded for four runs in the fourth aided by three walks and a pair of Spartan errors. The Golden Wolves had just one hit in the four-run uprising. The Spartans answered in the bottom of the fourth as Adams ripped a two-run single to center, tying the game at five.
• Alvernia pushed across the winning run in the top of the fifth as Emily Sano had a two-out RBI single to score Alexia Fitzgerald for the 6-5 lead.
• The Spartans were unable to get anything going in their final three at bats as they dropped game one of the twin bill.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Daphney Adams: 2-for-3, run, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Gretchen Barstad: 2-for-3, run, RBI, BB, 2B, SB
Rylee Dreyer: 2-for-3, run
Morgan Sauers: 1-for-4, run, SB
 
Spartan Pitching
Natalie Rietema: 3.1 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 3 ER, 2 K, 8 BB
Gretchen Barstad: 3.2 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, HB (Loss, 0-4)
 
Game Two
Runs: York 6 – Alvernia 5
Hits: York 8; Alvernia 7
Errors: York 1; Alvernia 1
LOB: York 3; Alvernia 6
WP: Kyrsten Coppage (13-4); LP: Kelsey Racine (3-4); Save: Gretchen Barstad (2)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartan game two offense centered around Emma Wade as the junior went deep twice for the Green and White. With two outs in the first, Daphney Adams singled. Wade then launched her 12^th bomb of the year to deep left center for the 2-0 Spartan lead.
• York added to the lead in the third. Morgan Sauers doubled with one out to start the uprising. Gretchen Barstad then had an infield single to put runners at first and second. Adams singled down the right field line to score Sauers for the 3-0 lead. Wade then jacked a three-run bomb to center, pushing the lead to 6-0 as the Spartans were cruising after three innings of play.
• The Golden Wolves responded with a two-run fourth inning. Alvernia scored their first run on an error and then got a second run on a Paige Splain sacrifice fly. The Golden Wolves got three more runs in the fifth on three hits. Meryn Bellacima had a two run single while Julie Burkhart plated the third run of the inning with an RBI fielder's choice.
• Barstad came into the circle and stifled the Golden Wolves as she retired the final seven hitters she faced to earn the save.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Daphney Adams: 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI, 2B
Emma Wade: 2-for-2, 2 runs, 5 RBI, 2 HR (12 & 13), BB
Alexis McDonaugh: 2-for-3
Mogan Sauers: 1-for-3, run, 2B
Gretchen Barstad: 1-for-3, run
 
Spartan Pitching
Kyrsten Coppage: 4.1 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs, 4 ER, 3 K, 4 BB (Win, 13-4)
Gretchen Barstad: 2.2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 K (Save, 2)
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans are now 9-8 all-time against Alvernia as York has won four of the last five meetings … in game one, the Spartans were 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-7 with two outs … in game two, York was 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position and were 4-for-8 with runners on … the Spartans now have 95 two-out RBI for the year as Emma Wade has 23 two-out RBI for the year … Wade is hitting .525 (31-for-59) with runners in scoring position as she now has 70 RBI's which leads all of Division III … Wade's 13 home runs ties her for second on the single-season list as Carleigh Ruleman owns the record with 15 bombs in 2017 … Gretchen Barstad has 56 hits as she is tied for fifth on the single season hits list, five hits behind Kelly Smith's school record of 61 set in 2009 … Daphney Adams broke the school record for doubles in a season with her 18^th in game two … Wade now has 99 total bases as she is four total bases away from tying Joy Byers single season school record of 103 set in 2001 … Barstad has 49 runs scored which establishes a new school record, passing the 48 scored by Byers in 2001 … Adams (13 games), Barstad (19 games), Rylee Dreyer (9 games), Wade (16 games) and Alexis McDonaugh (11 games) all had multi-hit games … Barstad has the longest current hitting streak at seven games … Wade recorded her 17^th multi-RBI game and her fifth five-RBI game in the nightcap … Morgan Sauers picked up her 100^th career hit with her double in game two.
 
Up Next
The Spartans close out their regular season on Monday as they travel to face the Arcadia Knights in a non-conference doubleheader in Glenside, PA. Game one is slated for a 4:00 pm start.