ST. DAVID'S, PA – The York College softball suffered a sweep at the hands of preseason conference favorite Eastern on a cool Saturday in St. David's, PA.
The Spartans dropped a slug fest in game one 11-7 before suffering a walk-off 4-1 loss in the nightcap.
The Eagles improve to 15-3 overall and 4-0 in the league while the Spartans fall to 5-11 overall and 2-2 in the MAC Commonwealth.
 
Game One
Runs: York 7 – Eastern 11
Hits: York 11 – Eastern 5
Errors: York 2 – Eastern 0
LOB: York 7 – Eastern 10
WP: Danika Barthol (6-1); LP: Natalie Rietema (3-6)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans got on the board first in the top of the first. Gretchen Barstad singled up the middle with two outs and scored on an Emma Wade double to right for the 1-0 lead. That advantage was short lived as the Eagles responded with a three spot in the bottom of the first. The Eagles needed one hit for the three runs as York walked three and hit two other batters in what would be the theme of game one.
• York tied the game in the top of the third courtesy of an Emma Wade two-run bomb to left. Unfortunately, the Eagles erupted for a seven-run bottom of the third inning. They scored the seven runs on just three hits while the Spartans also had an error. The Eagles also did all the damage with two outs. York walked three in the frame as all three walks would cross the plate.
• To the Spartans' credit, they answered with a four-run top of the fourth. Danella Silagy had an RBI single followed by a Barstad three-run homer to left center, cutting the Spartan deficit to 10-7.
• Eastern tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Ainsley O'Donnell drew a bases loaded walk to make it 11-7. York loaded the bases in the top of the seventh but the Spartans were unable to push anything across the plate in the inning.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Gretchen Barstad: 3-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR
Emma Wade: 3-for-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, 2B, HR
Danella Silagy: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI
Morgan Sauers: 1-for-3, 1 run, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Natalie Rietema: 3.1 IP, 3 hits, 10 runs, 6 ER, 5 K, 8 BB, 2 HB
Courtney Freese: 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 0 K, B
 
Game Two
Runs: York 1 – Eastern 4
Hits: York 3 – Eastern 7
Errors: York 5 – Eastern 1
LOB: York 5 – Eastern 10
WP: Jania Long (6-1); LP: Gretchen Barstad (2-2)
 
How It Happened
• The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the first as they got a single and then had a second player reach on an error. After a Mackenzie Laub sacrifice put runners at second and third, Emily Kurth reached on a second Spartan error of the inning for a 1-0 lead.
• The Spartan offense was quiet until the top of the fourth. The Spartans loaded the bases with one out. A fielder's choice forced an out at the plate for the second out but Bri McKeown drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game at one.
• The Eagles loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth but Gretchen Barstad was able to work around the trouble to keep the game tied at one. Eastern got back-to-back walks with one out in the sixth and the two runners moved up on a ground out. Again, Barstad made a big pitch to get a routine ground out back to her to end the inning.
• The Eagles won the game in the seventh. After a ground out to short to start the inning, Kurth singled to right to start the rally. After a fielder's choice erased Kurth at second, the Eagles got another gift from York as an outfield error allowed another runner to reach. That gave the Eagles a chance to walk it off as Jania Long homered to right field to walk off the Spartans and set off a furious celebration at home plate for the home squad.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Gretchen Barstad: 1-for-3
Emma Wade: 1-for-3, 1 run
Alexis McDonaugh: 1-for-3
Bri McKeown: 0-for-2, RBI, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Gretchen Barstad: 6.2 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 0 ER, 2 K, 3 BB
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans are now 14-9 all-time against Eastern as the Eagles have won four of the last five games played between the two squads … the Spartans roughed up Eastern ace Danika Barthol, last year's MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, as York tagged her with a season-high 11 hits and seven earned runs … the Spartans hit two home runs off Barthol, the first two round trippers she has allowed this season … the Spartans have allowed double digit in runs in four different games this year … The Spartan pitchers walked a season-high 14 in the game one loss as Eastern had just five hits but managed to scored 11 runs … the Spartans have allowed 106 hits, 114 walks and 15 hit batters in 89.2 innings of work … York has allowed 113 runs total but just 83 earned runs as York has 26 errors including seven combined errors on Saturday … York has hit their home runs in bunches as the Spartans have hit nine of their ten homers in four games … York was held to three hits in the nightcap as they have had three hits or less in seven games this year … Emma Wade had her eighth multi-hit game of the year in the opener while Gretchen Barstad had her fourth … Wade and Barstad are both riding current eight game win streaks … Wade had her sixth multi-RBI game of the year while Barstad has her fourth in the opener … Alexis McDonaugh has reached base safely in 10 games, the best current streak on the Spartans.
 
Up Next
The Spartans remain on the road on Wednesday as they head to Susquehanna to take on the River Hawks in a non-conference doubleheader. Game one is slated for a 3:00 pm start in Selinsgrove, PA.