YORK, PA – The York College baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with Stevenson University on a warm afternoon at Jaquet Field.
The Spartans dropped game one 4-3 in eight innings before bouncing back to win the series with a 9-4 game two victory.
The Spartans are now 17-16 overall and 12-6 in the Commonwealth. The Mustangs are now 9-26 overall and 4-14 in the conference.
 
Game One
Runs: York 3 – Stevenson 4
Hits: York 5 – Stevenson 8
Errors: York 4 – Stevenson 3
LOB: York 9 – Stevenson 9
WP: Ari Lonstein (2-0); LP: Ethan Kennedy (0-1)
 
How It Happened
• York wasted little time in getting on the board as Lucas Prendergast ripped a line drive home run to right for the 1-0 lead. The Mustangs took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. Matthew Perri had an RBI single to tie the game at one. Michael McGarry followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give the visitors a temporary 2-1 lead. York got that run right back in the bottom of the inning courtesy of a Richard Kline sacrifice fly to score Joe Urban with York's second run.
• The Mustangs got an RBI single from Sam Batiancila to give Stevenson a 3-2 lead. It could have been a bigger inning for Stevenson but Spartan reliever Bryce Shaffer got pinch hitter John Noll to ground out to leave the bases loaded.
• The Spartans got an Urban single to lead off the sixth inning and he moved to second on a sacrifice but that is where he would stay as York couldn't draw even. York got out a jam in the seventh, setting the stage for a dramatic bottom of the seventh. Kline led off the inning with a booming double to center. Dawson Shelley pinch ran for Kline and he came around to score on a Lucas Prendergast sacrifice bunt. Prendergast was originally ruled safe at first as he moved to second when the ball got away from the Mustangs. However, after a lengthy discussion between the two umpires, the home plate umpire overruled his partner and Prendergast was called out. The Spartans would go on to load the bases in the inning but a pop out and a strikeout extinguished the rally for York.
• Stevenson got the game-winning run on a Spartan error that would have ended the inning without any damage. York went quietly in the eighth as they suffered a tough loss to the Mustangs who are in the basement of the MAC Commonwealth standings.  
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Lucas Prendergast: 1-for-3, 1 run, RBI, HR
Richard Kline: 1-for-1, RBI, 2B, BB
Joe Urban: 1-for-3, run, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Brandon Purdy: 5.1 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 7 K, 2 BB
Bryce Shaffer: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 BB, 1 HB
Ethan Kennedy: 1.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 K
 
Game Two
Runs: York 9 – Stevenson 4
Hits: York 12 – Stevenson 5
Errors: York 0 – Stevenson 0
LOB: York 8 – Stevenson 3
WP: Owen Brockner (2-2); LP: Zane Stone (2-4)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartan offense finally woke from their slumber in the bottom of the second. Joe Urban doubled to lead off the inning. Ryan Niedzialkowski singled to score Urban for the 1-0 lead. Niedzialkowski scored on a Richard Kline single to center for the 2-0 lead. After Chris Nesensohn singled, the Spartans sacrificed Kline and Nesensohn up 90 feet. Lucas Prendergast ripped a double off the right field wall, scoring two for the Green and White.
• The Mustangs got back-to-back doubles with Brady Bedway getting an RBI as Stevenson got on the board. York answered in the bottom of the third as Niedzialkowski blasted a homer to left for the 5-1 Spartan advantage.
• York tacked on a single run in the fourth as Alex Neeld ripped an RBI single to center. Nick Griffin sliced the Spartan lead to 6-3 as he had a two-run single to center, ending the day for Spartan starter Owen Brockner. Bryce Shaffer came into the game and got an out on one pitch to prevent any further damage.
• York removed all doubt about the outcome in the fifth. Kline led off the inning with a double and he moved to third on a wild pitch. Nesensohn scored Kline with an RBI single. After a foul out, Lucas Prendergast launched his second home run of the day, a two-run shot to put York up 9-3. The Mustangs got the final run of the game in the seventh on a Sam Batiancil solo home run to left.  
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Lucas Prendergast: 2-for-4, 1 run, 4 RBI, HR, 2B
Ryan Niedzialkowski: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR
Joe Urban: 2-for-4, 1 run, 2B
Richard Kline: 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI, 2B
Chris Nesensohn: 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI, BB
 
Spartan Pitching
Owen Brockner: 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 6 K, 2 BB
Bryce Shaffer: 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 3 K
 
Spartan Notes
York had their 12-game win streak against Stevenson come to an end with the game one loss … the Spartans still lead the all-time series 38-12 … York is now 9-9 at home … York is 2-4 in one-run games … the Spartans are now 0-3 when scoring three runs in a game and 2-1 when scoring nine runs … York is 6-0 when hitting two or more home runs in a game … the Spartans are 5-11 when committing two or more errors in a game after making four miscues in the opener … the Spartans lost the opener despite scoring in the first inning … York is now 12-0 when out-hitting their opponents and 5-14 when being out-hit … the Spartans won their fourth MAC Commonwealth series of the year having swept Albright and Widener while they took two of three against Eastern and Stevenson … York dropped two of three against Hood and Messiah … by virtue of today's result, the Spartans qualified for the 2025 MAC Commonwealth tournament while their seed will be determined next weekend … five Spartans had multiple hits in game two as Lucas Prendergast (11 multi-hit games), Ryan Niedzialkowski (7 games), Joe Urban (10 games), Richard Kline (1 game), and Chris Nesensohn (5 games) all had two hits in the win … Prendergast ran his current hit streak to 11 games while he tied his season-high with four RBI … Prendergast extended his reached base safely streak to 30 games … in game one of the series on Friday, grad closer Ethan Kennedy picked up his school-record 15^th save with his 1.2 innings of work in the 4-3 win … Kennedy broke the previous record of 14 established by Brandon Ullom.
 
Up Next
After taking Easter Sunday off, the Spartans get back to action on Monday afternoon when they head to Elizabethtown to square off against the Blue Jays in a non-conference contest. First pitch is set for 3:00 pm.