YORK, PA – The York College Spartan baseball team ran their win streak to eight with a 4-2 Capital Athletic Conference win over St. Mary's College on a chilly Thursday afternoon at Jaquet Field.
The Spartans are now 11-2 overall as they sit all alone in first place in the CAC with a mark of 7-0. St. Mary's is now 12-14 overall and 3-5 in the league.
The contest was a pitcher's dual for the first four innings of the game as the starters David Walker (Hanover, Pa./South Western) and Sam Coe were fantastic.
St. Mary's got back-to-back singles in the second but Walker rolled a double play ground ball to end the threat.
York got a pair of runners on against Coe in their half of the second as Colin Porter (Hanover, Pa./South Western) doubled with two outs. Freshman Scott Steffy (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) drew a walk but Coe got a strikeout to end the frame.
That would be all for the Spartans until the fifth. Porter drew a lead off walk and Steffy pushed a beautiful bunt base hit to the right side to advance Porter to second. Chris Turrisi (Washington Township, N.J./St. Joseph's) sacrificed Porter and Steffy to third and second as the Spartans had something cooking. Coe got an infield pop up and looked like he got out of the inning when Andrew Hershey (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) banged a ground ball to shortstop Luke Green. Green bobbled the ball and a hustling Hershey beat the throw to score Porter and prolong the inning. Senior Brad Wenzel (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood Area) made the error hurt with a two run single to right, pushing the York lead to 3-0.
The Seahawks answered the Spartans with a two run burst in the top of the sixth. Brandon Eady laced a two-out, two run single up the middle as the Hawks finally got to Walker.
York got a big insurance run in the sixth as Stephen Miele (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Porter sacrifice fly.
St. Mary's would get two runners on in the top of the ninth but Miele came on to record the final out, as the Spartans remained perfect in the CAC.
Walker improved to 3-1 with the win as he allowed two runs on eight hits with a walk and a strikeout in his 6.2 innings of work. Senior Tyler Alexander (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) tossed two scoreless innings of relief as he allowed a hit with two strikeouts, a walk and a hit batter. Miele got a ground ball out for his first save of the year.
Coe deserved a better fate as the left hander allowed four runs, one earned, on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks in his eight inning complete game. He falls to 3-1 with the loss.
Wenzel led the Spartans, as he was 1-for-4 with two RBI. Porter was 1-for-1 with an RBI and a run scored while Steffy and J.J. Oleniacz (Great Falls, Va./Langley) each contributed a hit to the Spartan offense.
Paul Roemer led the Seahawks with four singles in the loss. Eady went 2-for-4 with two RBI while Zach Rowe and Brad Dioguardo each added a hit and a run scored for St. Mary's.
The Spartans return to action on Friday when they travel to Immaculata to face the Mighty Macs in a non-conference contest. First pitch is slated for 3:30 pm.