PHILADELPHIA, PA – The York College softball team dropped their opening game of the 2024 MAC Commonwealth tournament, 6-3, to the second-seeded Messiah University on a warm Thursday afternoon at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Spartans, who are the tournament's three seed, got on top early but Messiah's big second inning was enough to lead the Falcons to victory.
The Falcons improve to 28-13 overall while the Spartans have their modest three-game winning streak snapped as they fall to 24-17.
 
Runs: York 3 – Messiah 6
Hits: York 7; Messiah 3
Errors: York 5; Messiah 1
LOB: York 8; Messiah 6
WP: Lydia Collison (11-2); LP: Kyrsten Coppage (14-5)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans couldn't have gotten off to a better start as Gretchen Barstad blasted a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for a quick 1-0 Spartan lead two batters in to the game. Daphney Adams singled to center two pitches later to put a runner on. However, Falcon starter Lydia Collison wiggled out of the inning with a foul out and a fly out.
• The Falcons answered the Spartans in the bottom of the second with some significant help from the York defense. Allie Book led off the inning with a single down the first base line. Jaden Keister got hit by a pitch and then a pair of Spartan errors scored two runs, giving the Falcons a 2-1 lead. After a walk, a strikeout and a fly out to right, it looked like Spartan starter Kyrsten Coppage might get out of the inning with minimal damage. The Falcons had other ideas as Alexa Burger homered to right center, driving the lead to 5-1 on the three-run shot. All five runs in the frame were unearned.
• The Spartans rallied in the top of the fourth as Emma Wade singled to lead off the frame. Alexis McDonaugh walked followed by a Bri McKeown single up the middle loaded the bases for York. Emma Keller scored Wade with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to right center. After a Kylee Paules bunt single reloaded the bases, the Falcons got the second out of the inning with a fielder's choice as McDonaugh was cut down at the plate on a ground ball. Morgan Sauers drove home York's second run of the inning with a single to left as York trailed 5-3. Barstad was the next batter and she lined a ball into right field that just stayed up long enough for the right fielder to make the play for out number three.
• The Falcons got one of those runs back in the fourth as another Spartan miscue allowed Messiah to score, extending the lead to 6-3.
• York got single runners on in the top of the fifth and sixth innings but would not be able to muster anything more than that. Barstad reached second on a Falcon error in the top of the seventh but Messiah retired the next three hitters to end the game, forcing the Spartans into the playback bracket.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Gretchen Barstad: 1-for-4, run, RBI, HR (5)
Morgan Sauers: 1-for-4, RBI
Emma Wade: 1-for-3, run, BB
Bri McKeown: 1-for-3, run
 
Spartan Pitching
Kyrsten Coppage: 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 5 runs, 0 ER, 3 K, 2 BB, 2 HB (Loss, 14-5)
Natalie Rietema: 4.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, 2 HB
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans have lost all three of their games this year against Messiah as they are now 22-32 all-time against the Falcons … the Spartans outhit the Falcons 7-3 but the Spartans walked three and hit four more … the Spartans were 3-of-10 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-3 with the bases loaded … York was 1-for-8 with two outs while they were 2-for-7 when leading off innings … York falls to 14-5 when scoring in the first inning and 18-5 when scoring first … York has outscored their opponents 54-32 in the first inning this year … the 54 runs are the most York has scored in any inning this year while the 32 runs are the second most by an opponent as the most is the fourth inning as they have surrendered 44 runs in that frame … York is now 6-14 when committing two or more errors in a game … York falls to 21-3 when out-hitting their opponent … Gretchen Barstad extended her current hitting streak to 10 games while Daphney Adams and Morgan Sauers each have five game hitting streaks … Barstad also has a 10 game reached base safely streak while Adams and Sauers are at five games each … sophomore Natalie Rietema had one of her best outings of the year as she came out of the pen to throw four strong innings as she allowed one unearned run on one hit, with one strikeout and one walk ... all six of the Falcon runs were unearned the game. 
 
Up Next
The Spartans will face the loser of Thursday's second game between Alvernia and Eastern in an elimination game on Friday at 3:00 pm.