YORK, PA – The York College Spartan baseball split a Palm Sunday MAC Commonwealth doubleheader with Messiah University at Jaquet Field in York.
The Spartans won game one 8-1 while the Falcons rebounded to capture game two 10-3 for the split. The two teams meet tomorrow in Grantham to determine the winner of the series.
York is now 15-13 overall and 10-4 in the Commonwealth. The Falcons are now 18-12 overall and 12-2 in the league.
 
Game One
Runs: York 8 – Messiah 1
Hits: York 11 – Messiah 4
Errors: York 0 – Messiah 2
LOB: York 8 – Messiah 4
WP: Evan Hughes (5-1); LP: Christian Foltz (4-2)
 
How It Happened
• After a quiet first inning, the Spartans broke into the scoring column in the second. Joe Urban started the uprising with a double down the left field line. A ground out moved Urban to second but there were already two outs. Chris Nesensohn was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners. Nesensohn took off and intentionally got stuck in a pickle as the Spartans tried to steal a run. The Falcons decided to throw over to third and the throw was airmailed, allowing Urban to come home and Nesensohn to advance all the way to third. Matthew Wade drew a walk and Lucas Prendergast followed with a single through the right side to score Nesensohn for a 2-0 lead. Michael Tinneny doubled to right center, scoring two more and giving York a 4-0 lead.
• York added a single run in the fourth as Tinneny laced an RBI triple down the right field line to give York a 5-0 advantage. The Falcons got on the board with an RBI ground out from Luke Ott in the top of the fifth. The Spartans answered in the bottom of the fifth with a three spot to push the lead to 8-1. Urban had an RBI double to center to score the first run. Wade followed with an RBI single to left. Tinneny closed out the scoring with an RBI single to left for the seven run bulge.
• That would be more than enough for Spartan starter Evan Hughes as the right-hander was dominant. Hiughes retired eight of the final nine Falcons he faced in the game. Hughes notched his second complete game of the year as he needed just 90 pitches to navigate the seven innings for the Spartans.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Michael Tinneny: 3-for-4, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B
Lucas Prendergast: 2-for-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HBP, 2B, SB
Joe Urban: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 2 2B
Ryan Niedzialkowski: 1-for-4, 1 run, RBI, 2B
Matthew Wade: 1-for-2, run, RBI, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Evan Hughes: 7.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 BB, HB
 
Game Two
Runs: York 3 – Messiah 10
Hits: York 8 – Messiah 11
Errors: York 1 – Messiah 1
LOB: York 11 – Messiah 5
WP: Drew Dellinger (3-1); LP: Brandon Purdy (2-3)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans loaded the bases in the bottom of the first but Falcon starter Jason Long got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts. Long wouldn't be as fortunate in the second as York struck for three runs to take the lead. Ryan Niedzialkowski doubled to lead off the bottom of the second. After a flyout, Richard Kline singled to center to put Spartans at the corners. Lucas Prendergast scored Niedzialkowski with a ground out to first for the 1-0 lead. The Spartans loaded the bases, setting the stage for Chris Betler. Betler drilled a single to right center to score two for the Green and White.
• The Falcons wasted little time in answering the Green and White in the third. Luke Ott doubled off the wall in right center to kick off the inning. Isaiah Parido singled through the right side to score Ott for Messiah's first run. Drew Hurst then blasted a two-run homer to right, tying the game at three. The Falcons took the lead for good in the fourth as Matt Luchovick doubled down the left field line to begin in the inning. After a walk, Luckovick moved to third on a fly ball to right. That would be key as he scored on an Ott sacrifice fly one batter later.
• Messiah got another single run in the sixth after a pair of strikeouts to begin the inning. Nick Moyer walked and came around to score when David Martinez double to right center, pushing the Falcon lead to 5-3.
• The Falcons blew the game open in the seventh as Evan Wagaman had an RBI fielder's choice where it looked like the Spartans had cut down a run at the plate but the ball was dropped, allowing the runner to be safe. After a Dylan Beard single to put Falcons at the corner, Jarrett Gordon blasted a three-run homer to left field, pushing the lead to 9-3. Messiah got a solo home run from Ott to start the eighth for the final run of the game.
• Drew Dellinger came out of the bullpen and threw the final five innings of the game for the Falcons. He shut the Spartans out on four hits as he struck out three and walked one as it took him just 51 pitches to navigate the final 15 outs.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Chris Betler: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
Lucas Prendergast: 1-for-5, RBI
Michael Tinneny: 1-for-2, 1 run, 2 BB, HBP
Ryan Niedzialkowski: 1-for-4, 1 run
 
Spartan Pitching
Brandon Purdy: 5.0 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 0 K, 2 BB
Bryce Shaffer: 2.0 IP, 4 hits, 4 ER, 2 K, 1 BB
Jesse Bitzer: 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER
 
Spartan Notes
York is now 55-16 all-time against the Falcons but Messiah has won five of the last eight games between the two teams in the last two years … the game two loss snapped the Spartans' season-high five game win streak … York had outscored their opponents 54-10 during their five-game win streak … the Spartans were held to just three runs in game two, their lowest total since they scored two in the 7-2 loss to Penn State Harrisburg on March 11 … York's five doubles in game one tied a season-high for the Green and White … York got hit by three more pitches in the doubleheader as they have been hit 54 times this year … York surrendered three home runs in game two, their second-highest total of the year (4 vs. Catholic) … York committed just one error in two games as they have had just four errors in the last six games … Michael Tinneny collected his 15^th multi-hit game game of the year including his seventh three-hit game of the year in game one … Tinneny and Lucas Prendergast are each riding a current six-game hit streak … Tinneny recorded his ninth multi-RBI game of the year … Jacob Deimling had his 26-game reached base safely streak snapped in game one while Prendergast is on a 25-game on-base safely streak … Evan Hughes had his best outing of the year in game one with his complete game win … Hughes allowed just one run for the second straight outing as he struck out four and walked just one as he scattered four singles … Hughes has allowed two runs on nine hits with 12 strikeouts and four walks in his last 13 innings of work … Hughes has won his last three starts as he is now 5-1.
 
Up Next
The Spartans and Falcons head to Grantham for the rubber match in the three-game series. First pitch on Monday is set for 3:30 pm.