YORK, PA – The York College softball team earned a split against Hood College in their Saturday afternoon MAC Commonwealth doubleheader.
The Blazers won game one 3-1 while the Spartans earned a come-from-behind 6-5 win in the nightcap as senior Bri McKeown notched the walk-off winner for York.
York is now 7-13 overall and 3-3 in the league while the Blazers are 11-11 and 3-3 in the Commonwealth.
 
Game One
Runs: York 1 – Hood 3
Hits: York 5 – Hood 6
Errors: York 2 – Hood 2
LOB: York 7 – Hood 13
WP: Rebecca Gottleib (6-5); LP: Natalie Rietema (4-7)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans got on the board first in the bottom of the third. Rylee Dreyer opened the inning with a walk. After Hood's Rebecca Gottleib got the next two Spartans, Gretchen Barstad doubled to left center to score Dreyer with the game's first run.
• The Blazers got an unearned run in the top of the fourth to tie the game at one. Hood took the lead in the fifth as Gottleib drew a bases loaded walk to give the Blazers a 2-1 lead. Hood added to the lead in the sixth with a Kara Heidlauf solo blast to left for the 3-1 advantage.
• The Spartans stranded two runners in the fourth and then two more runners over the final three innings but never really threatened as Gottleib held the Spartan offense in check.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Gretchen Barstad: 2-for-3, RBI, 2B
Alexis McDonaugh: 2-for-3, 2B
Jordyn Woodling: 1-for-4
 
Spartan Pitching
Natalie Rietema: 7.0 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 ER, 4 K, 7 BB, HB
 
Game Two
Runs: York 6 – Hood 5
Hits: York 11 – Hood 11
Errors: York 3 – Hood 2
LOB: York 7 – Hood 6
WP: Gretchen Barstad (3-2); LP: Sydney Weaver (4-3)
 
How it Happened
• The Spartans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Gretchen Barstad singled in Jordyn Woodling who led off the game with a single and then stole two bases. Barstad then stole second and moved to third on a Hood error. Emma Wade stole second and Alexis McDonaugh scored the duo with a single to left center.
• York added a single run in the second as Rylee Dreyer singled and scored on a Woodling double to left center for the 4-0 lead. With York looking like they might be on the cusp of a big offensive performance, the Blazers slowed York with a single run in the third on a Sam Larkin RBI ground out. York looked like they were going to answer in the third as they had runners at second and third with one out but the Blazers were able to get out of the jam with a strikeout and a ground out.
• The Spartans made it 5-1 in the fourth as Dreyer drew a walk and stole second. A ground out moved Dreyer to third and she came around to score on a Barstad single to center. The Blazers got that run back in the fifth. Barstad the first two Blazers she faced but Larkin singled and scored on a Jocelyn Pfleiger single and a Spartan outfield error to trim the lead to 5-2.
• The Blazers further cut into the Spartan in the sixth. Hanna Janke led the inning off with a double and she came around to score on a Lizzie McConnell single. McConnell advanced all the way to third on another Spartan miscue. She scored on an RBI ground out from Kaelyn Blocher.
• Dreyer continued her big day at the plate in the bottom of the sixth but she was stranded after a lead-off double, setting the stage for a dramatic seventh inning. Hood wasted little time in tying the game as Rebecca Gottleib led off the frame with a single to left. Larkin followed with a double to left center, tying the game at five. Pfleiger singled to center to put runners at the corners. Kara Heidlauf hit a line drive to second and Danella Silagy alertly doubled off the Hood pinch runner at first for a huge play. Barstad got the final out of the inning as the game was tied, setting the stage for the Spartan walk off.
• The inning started with an Emma Wade single to right. Devyn McFarland pinch ran for Wade and moved to second on a ground out to first with two outs. Senior Bri McKeown then came up huge as she dumped a single into right field, allowing McFarland to motor around from second with the game-winning run. McKeown made the most of her second start of the year as she was mobbed at first base after McFarland crossed the plate.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Jordyn Woodling: 2-for-4, 1 run, RBI
Gretchen Barstad: 2-for-4, 1 run, 2 RBI
Alexis McDonaugh: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
Rylee Dreyer: 2-for-2, 2 runs, BB
Bri McKeown: 1-for-4, RBI
 
Spartan Pitching
Gretchen Barstad: 7.0 IP, 11 hits, 5 runs, 3 ER, 1 K, 0 BB
 
Spartan Notes
York is now 22-5 all-time against Hood but the teams have split their last two doubleheaders … York has won nine of their last 11 against Hood … the Spartans are now 5-5 after opening the year with a 2-8 mark in Texas … York is 4-2 at home … York has been outscored in every inning except the seventh (7-5) this year … York is now 2-1 in one-run games … York is 0-10 when scoring two runs or less in a game … the 11 hits in game two is York's eighth double digit hit game of the year … York stole eight bases in game two after having stolen just 14 bases in their previous 19 games … York struck out just once in game two … the Spartans made five errors in the two games which led to four unearned runs in the two games.
 
Up Next
The Spartans return to action on Sunday when they travel to DeSales to face the Bulldogs in a non-conference doubleheader. Game one is set for a 1:00 pm start in Center Valley, PA.