YORK, PA – The York College baseball squad salvaged a split in a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader against Widener University on a sunny Sunday in York.
The Pride dispatched the Spartans 12-3 in the opener before the Green and White managed to avoid the sweep with an 11-6 victory in the nightcap.
The Spartans are now 16-7 overall and 8-4 in the league while the Pride are 10-14 and 6-6 in the conference. The Pride won two out of three games to win the series.
 
Game One
Runs: York 3 – Widener 12
Hits: York 9; Widener 14
Errors: York 4; Widener 1
LOB: York 7; Widener 9
WP: Sean Curran (4-1); LP: Evan Hughes (3-1)
 
How It Happened
• The Pride carried over the momentum of Saturday's 8-6 win as they smacked the Spartans early with a six run second inning to seize control early on. The six runs came on four hits and three Spartan errors as the York defense was shaky all day. In addition to the hits and errors, the Spartans walked two in the inning as they found themselves in a giant hole.
• The Pride tacked on three more runs in the fourth to make it 9-0. The Spartans spoiled the shutout in the bottom of the fourth as Chris Betler doubled and scored on a Connor Pickle singled one batter later for York's first run.
• Both teams scored single runs fifth and Widener tacked on two more in the top of the seventh before York got a single run in the bottom of the seventh on a Robby Elzinga RBI single to short to score Lucas Prendergast who had doubled down the left field line to open the inning.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Lucas Prendergast: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2B
Robby Elzinga: 2-for-3, 1 RBI, BB
Michael Tinneny: 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Chris Betler: 1-for-3, 1 run, 2B
Connor Pickle: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, SB
 
Spartan Pitching
Evan Hughes: 3.0 IP, 7 hits, 7 runs, 5 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, WP (Loss, 3-1)
Jackson Kelley: 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 ER, 1 K, 3 BB
Dawson Rightenour: 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 ER
Adam Baeumel: 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 K
Seamus O'Connor: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 runs, 2 ER, 1 BB
 
Game Two
Runs: York 11-Widener 6
Hits: York 13; Widener 9
Errors: York 5; Widener 3
LOB: York 9; Widener 8
WP: Bryce Shaffer (3-1); LP: Tyler Conlan (0-3)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans jumped out early in game two with a two spot in the bottom of the first. Chris Betler started the scoring with a two-run single to center to score Gabe Trevena and Robby Elzinga for the 2-0 lead.
• The Pride took advantage of some shoddy Spartan defense in the second. Spartan starter Bryce Shaffer got the first out of the inning and then the Spartans made back-to-back errors to fuel the Widener rally. Shaffer, who should have been out of the inning unscathed, was forced to make another 17 pitches as the Pride pushed across three unearned runs to take the 3-2 lead.
• The Green and White tied the game in the bottom of the third as Betler blasted his team-leading eighth home run of the year, knotting the game at three.
• The Spartan offense finally woke up in the fourth as they put together their biggest inning of the weekend. Connor Pickle started the rally with a single. Matthew Wade then reached on a dropped fly ball to put Spartans at first and second. Garrett Kile then laid down a pinch hit bunt single to load the bases with no outs. York took the lead on a Lucas Prendergast hit by pitch to plate Pickle. Trevena made it 5-3 as he drew a bases loaded walk to score Wade. Elzinga scored Kile with a sacrifice fly to increase the lead to 6-3. The Spartans reloaded the bases with a Michael Tinneny single to center. Betler then drove in his fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to score Prendergast. Andrew Santarpia singled to plate the final run of the inning as York scored five runs on four hits and an error to take the 8-3 lead.
• The Pride got one run back in the top of the fifth but York answered with a three run inning in the bottom of the sixth. Tinneny had an RBI single while Pickle had a two run double to push the Spartan lead to 11-4.
• Widener got single runs in the eighth and ninth inning to provide for the final five run Spartan margin of victory.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Chris Betler: 2-for-3, 1 run, 4 RBI, HR, SF
Connor Pickle: 2-for-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2B
Gabe Trevena: 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI, BB, SB
Michael Tinneny: 2-for-5, 1 run, RBI
Lucas Prendergast 1-for-4, 1 run, RBI
Robby Elzinga: 1-for-3, 2 runs, RBI, BB, 2B, SF, SB
 
Spartan Pitching
Bryce Shaffer: 5.0 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 2 W (Win, 3-1)
Jason Cassidy: 2.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 K, 1 BB
Ethan Kennedy: 2.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 ER, 3 K
 
Spartan Notes
York is now 11-6 all-time against the Pride as Widener has won three of the last four contests … the Spartans are now 8-2 at Jaquet Field for the year with both losses coming in conference play … the Spartans three game losing streak after game one is their longest skid of the year … the Spartans reached double figures in scoring in game two, snapping a streak of four games in single digits … York has reached double figures in runs in ten games this year … York had four doubles and a home run in the two games on Sunday … York stole two bags in game one and three more in game two as they now have 22 for the year …  York had another two batters hit in game two as they have absorbed 38 hit by pitches this year … the Spartans had four errors in game one and five more in game two … they entered the game leading the MAC Commonwealth in fielding percentage … York allowed 14 hits in game one, their second-highest total of the year … the Green and White pitching staff has surrendered 34 runs (25 earned) on 45 hits over their last four games … the Spartans scored two runs in the first inning of game two as they have now outscored their opponents 25-6 in the first inning .. York's highest scoring inning this year is the fourth as they have scored 40 total runs in their 23 fourth innings … York is now 8-1 when scoring in the first inning and 12-1 when scoring first in a game … York now has 87 two-out RBIs in their 23 games … Chris Betler added four more RBI to his season total as he now has a team-leading 35 for the year … 18 of Betler's 35 RBI have come with two outs … Betler is hitting .513 (20-for-39) with runners in scoring position for the year … Michael Tinneny is hitting .471 (16-for-34) with runners in scoring position … overall, York is hitting .383 with runners in scoring position … York is hitting a robust .750 (63-for-84) with a runner on third and less than two outs … Betler now has 14 multi-hit games while Lucas Prendergast (11), Tinneny (10) and Robby Elzinga (10) each have double figures in multi-hit games … Tinneny extended his current hit streak to a team-high tying 10 with hits in each game in the doubleheader … Connor Pickle extended his current hit streak to nine games … Betler had his ninth multi-RBI game in the nightcap while Pickle had his fourth multi-RBI game in game two … Prendergast increased his reached base safely streak to 13 while Betler is at 12 straight and Tinneny is at 10 … Jason Cassidy had a great outing in the night cap as he surrendered a lead off walk and then retired the next six Widener hitters he face to record two hitless and scoreless innings … game two starter Bryce Shaffer has been really good in his last two outings as he has thrown 11 innings, allowing four runs (one earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks as he earned wins in both games.  
 
Up Next
The Spartans continue their five-game home stand on Tuesday as they host Elizabethtown College in a non-conference contest. First pitch at Jaquet Field is set for 3:30 pm.