PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA – The York College baseball squad got a game-winning RBI single from Michael Tinneny in the top of the ninth to escape Eastern University with a 5-4 win the MAC Commonwealth series opener on Friday.
The game was played at the beautiful Villanova Baseball Park in Plymouth Meeting, PA.
The Spartans improve to 8-8 overall and 4-0 in the league while the Eagles fall to 5-12 overall and 0-4 in the conference.
 
Runs: York 5 – Eastern 4
Hits: York 9 – Eastern 11
Errors: York 1 – Eastern 3
LOB: York 9 – Eastern 8
WP: Bryce Shaffer (2-1); LP: Ethan Gwara (0-1); Save: Ethan Kennedy (4)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans got on the board in the second as Alex Neeld led the inning off with an infield single. After a strikeout, Jacob Deimling was hit by a pitch to put Spartans at first and second. The Eagles got a second out but Matthew Wade scored Neeld with an RBI single. Deimling came around to score when the Eagles committed an error on the play, giving York a second run.
• The Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Luke Meehan got the Eagles on the board with an RBI single to right. Matthew Gonglik tied the game on an RBI fielder's choice as the teams were deadlocked at two.
• The Spartans answered in the top of the six as Michael Tinneny led off the inning with a single. Neeld moved him to second with a single of his own. Chris Betler reached on a fielder's choice as there were Spartans at first and second. After a strikeout, Urban drew a walk to load the bases. Wade drove in his second run of the game with an infield single to make it 3-2. Chris Nesensohn followed with a single to the pitcher that scored Betler for the two-run lead.
• The Eagles got right back into the game in the bottom of the sixth. The Spartans turned a double play after a lead-off single in the inning. Justin DiCesare singled to right to reignite the rally. Thomas Kozlusky tied the game with a two-run homer to left as it was a whole new game.
• The seventh and eighth innings were quiet. Senior Bryce Shaffer continues to throw the ball well as he pitched the bottom of the eigth and needed just nine pitches to post a pair of strikeouts and a fly out. In fact, Shaffer only threw one ball out of the strike zone in his outing.
• A strikeout led off the top of the ninth for the Spartans but Lucas Prendergast drew a one-out walk to get the uprising started. Jason Cassidy got plunked by a pitch, setting the stage for Tinneny's heroics. Tinneny was up in the count 2-1 when he ripped a shot through the right side, scoring Prendergast with the game winner.
• Closer Ethan Kennedy allowed a lead-off single in the ninth but got a sacrifice bunt, a ground out and a fly out to right to end the game and pick up his fourth save of the campaign and his second in Commonwealth play this year.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Michael Tinneny: 2-for-5, RBI
Alex Neeld: 2-for-5, 2 runs
Matthew Wade: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
Lucas Prendergast: 1-for-3, 1 run, BB
Chris Nesensohn: 1-for-3, RBI
Joe Urban: 1-for-3, 2B
 
Spartan Pitching
Evan Hughes: 7.0 IP, 10 hits, 4 ER, 5 K, 1 BB, HB
Bryce Shaffer: 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 2 K
Ethan Kennedy: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs
 
Spartan Notes
York improves to 14-7 all-time against the Eagles as the Spartans are now 8-7 against Eastern as MAC Commonwealth opponents in a tightly contested series … for the third time in the last four games, the Spartan pitching staff issued just one walk in a game and York has won all three of those games … York pitchers struck out seven in the game … York allowed a home run for the second straight game … York has won five of their last six games as they are now 5-4 away from Jaquet Field … York has 41 hits in their last four games … York had just one extra bases hit on the day with a Joe Urban double in the top of the fourth … the Spartan defense has improved as they have committed just four errors in their last five games as they made 22 miscues in their first 11 contests of the year … Michael Tinneny extended his hit streak to 16 to start the season while Lucas Prendergast is riding a 10 game hit streak … Tinneny now has a team-leading nine multi-hit games for the year while Alex Neeld and Matthew Wade each recorded their third multi-hit games of the year … Wade notched his third multi-RBI game of the year in the win … Tinneny and Jacob Deimling have both reached base safely in all 16 games while Prendergast is on a 13-game reached base safely streak.
 
Up Next
The Spartans and Eagles resume their three-game series on Saturday afternoon in York. The doubleheader kicks off with a 12:00 pm first pitch for game one.