YORK, PA – The York College Spartan baseball squad raced out to an 11-0 lead over Alvernia University in game one of the MAC Commonwealth semifinal series between the two teams. The Spartans ended up hanging on for a 13-10 win as they take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
The game had the makings of a pitchers dual as two of the top starters in the league squared off in game one. However, the pitchers dual never materialized as offense carried the game from start to finish.
York improves to 23-17 overall as they have won five straight. Alvernia falls to 24-17 overall.
 
Runs: York 13 – Alvernia 10
Hits: York 18 – Alvernia 13
Errors: York 0 – Alvernia 1
LOB: York 8 – Alvernia 8
WP: Konner Reeser (2-1); LP: Chris Sasso (3-3); Save: Ethan Kennedy (10)
 
How It Happened
• The Spartans jumped all over the Golden Wolves early with a four run first inning. Lucas Prendergast began the game with a single up the middle. During Michael Tinneny's at-bat, Prendergast moved to second on a wild pitch. Tinneny then walked to put Spartans at first and second. Jacob Deimling then put together a fantastic at-bat as he laced a 1-2 pitch into left center for a 1-0 Spartan lead. Chris Betler hit into a fielder's choice to score Tinneny for the 2-0 lead. Ryan Niedzialkowski singled to third and an Alvernia throwing error allowed Betler to go to third and Niedzialkowski to move to second. After a strikeout, Richard Kline ripped a single to right to score two as York led 4-0 after one frame.
• York added three runs in the second as Matthew Wade walked to lead off the inning. Prendergast then blasted a line drive homer to right for the 6-0 lead. Betler later homered to right center for the 7-0 bulge.
• The Spartans kept the beat going in the third as Kline led off the inning with a double to right center. Chris Nesensohn singled to right to move Kline to third. Wade doubled to score Kline for the 8-0 lead. Tinneny made it 9-0 with a sacrifice fly to center.
• York tacked on two more runs in the fourth as Joe Urban had a two out single to left. Kline then added to his huge day with a two-run home run to left as the lead grew to 11-0.
• The Golden Wolves got themselves back into the game with a six-run fifth inning. Spartan starter Evan Hughes cruised through the first four innings but uncharacteristically lost his control in the fifth. Catcher RJ Emrich started the inning with a single to left. Hughes then walked back-to-back hitters to load the bases. Jack Chapman drew a pinch hit walk to score the first run of the frame for Alvernia. Logan Nelson then cleared the bases with a double to left center to make it 11-4. Evan Thomas followed with a second double to score Nelson. The Golden Wolves closed out the scoring with an RBI infield single from Harold Ivery as it was 11-6.
• York got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Betler smoked a two-run single to left center as York pushed the lead back to seven at 13-6.
• Both teams failed to score in the sixth and that was the first inning in which the Spartans didn't score in the game. Alvernia made up for some lost time with a four-run seventh inning as the game became uncomfortably close for the Spartans. The Golden Wolves got their four runs on five hits as they left two runners on base. York got a lead-off double from Tinneny in the seventh but never moved from there as the teams headed to the eighth.
• Jason Cassidy came on in the eighth and surrendered a lead-off single to Nelson. Nelson then moved to second on a passed ball as the Spartan faithful continued to feel the momentum sliding to Alvernia. Cassidy then got a line out to third for out number one. Cassidy finished off the inning with a ground out to second followed by a ground out to third.
• That set the stage for grad closer Ethan Kennedy who shut down any momentum the Golden Wolves might have had. Kennedy had a seven pitch ninth inning to close the door for his 10 save of the year. Kennedy threw six strikes and one ball during his outing.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Richard Kline: 4-for-5, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2B, HR
Lucas Prendergast: 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR
Chris Betler: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI, HR
Michael Tinneny: 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI, 2B, SF, BB
Jacob Deimling: 2-for-5, 1 run, RBI
Ryan Niedzialkowski: 2-for-5, 1 run
Chris Nesensohn: 2-for-4, 1 run, SB
 
Spartan Pitching
Evan Hughes: 4.0 IP, 6 hits, 6 ER, 5 K, 5 BB
Konner Reeser: 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 4 ER, 2 K, 1 BB
Bryce Shaffer: 0.2 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs
Jason Cassidy: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs
Ethan Kennedy: 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs
 
Spartan Notes
York improves to 23-11 all-time against Alvernia as they have won six of the last seven match ups between the two teams … the Spartans are now 12-10 at home as they have won four of their last five at Jaquet Field … the Spartans hit three home runs and that's the fourth time this year they have hit three bombs in a game … York's 18 hits were their second highest total of the year (20 vs. Eastern on March 22) … the Spartans have reached double figures in hits in 23 games this year … York is now 8-3 against left-handed starters this year … York is 12-0 when scoring 10 runs or more in a game … the Spartans are 9-5 when scoring in the first inning and 18-6 when scoring first in a game … York is now 18-1 when leading after six innings … the Spartans are 9-0 when hitting multiple home runs in a game … York is now 9-1 when not committing an error in the game … the Green and White is 15-0 when out-hitting their opponents … every York starter had at least one hit in the win … York had seven Spartans reach multiple hits in the game led by Richard Kline as the freshman had his first career four-hit game … Kline is hitting .444 (8-for-18) with eight RBI, two doubles and two home runs during the Spartans' five-game win streak … Joe Urban extended his current hit streak to six which leads the squad … Kline and Chris Betler both had four RBI in the win … the multi-RBI game for Betler is his fourth while it's the third for Kline … Ryan Niedzialkowski has an active 11-game reached base safely streak which leads the team ... Ethan Kennedy notched his tenth save of the year and his 20th career save ... Kennedy's ten saves brings him one short of Ed Meister's single season record of 11. 
 
Up Next
The two teams will close out the series on Saturday. If the Spartans are able to win the opener, there will be just one game on Saturday but if Alvernia is able to win the opener, it would force a winner-take-all game three at Jaquet Field. Saturday's opener will start at 11:00 am.
Messiah won game one of the other semifinal series as they downed Widener 9-3 in Grantham on Friday.