CHESTER, PA – The York College baseball squad swept a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader at Widener on Saturday as they improved to 8-0. The Spartans won game one 12-3 and completed the sweep with an 18-2 win in the nightcap.
The 8-0 is the best beginning to a season in school history. The Spartans are now 6-0 in the Commonwealth in their first year in the league. York won game one 12-3 and completed the sweep with an 18-2 victory in the nightcap.
Game One
Hits: York 15, Widener 10
Errors: York 0, Widener 3
2B: York 2, Widener 2
3B: York 0, Widener 0
HR: York 1, Widener 0
WP: Brandon Haggerty (3-0), LP: Dylan Peiffer (0-2)
How It Happened:
• The Pride got to Spartan ace Brandon Haggerty for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning after Widener starter Dylan Peiffer struck out the side in the first. The Pride scored their first run on a wild pitch and their second on an infield single.
• The Spartans, just like they have done all year, wasted little time in responding in the top of the second. York plated four runs on five hits in the frame, seizing control of the game. Jimmy Wiegers got York on the board with an RBI single. Then the red hot Jayden Cowan picked up a pair of RBI with a two-run single down the right field line to make it 3-0. Wiegers then came home on an RBI groundout.
• While Haggerty was cruising the Spartans were getting ready to strike again in the fifth. Back to back singles from Austin Denlinger and Luke Turner put runners at first and second with no outs. After a strikeout, Joe Capobianco launched his first home run of the season, a bomb to left that pushed the York lead to 7-2. Two more singles from Wiegers and Cowan reignited the rally. The duo pulled off a double steal and Wiegers scored on a fielding error to put York up 8-2.
• The Spartans expanded the lead by two more runs in the sixth thanks to a two-run double from Cowan as the lad was now 10-2. Widener got a run back in the bottom of the sixth but the Spartans concluded the scoring with two runs in the top of the seventh.
Top Spartan Performers
Senior Brandon Haggerty improved to 3-0 as he allowed three runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 6.1 innings of work … Tim Halasnik came into the game to get the final two outs for York … senior Jayden Cowan had another big day as the reigning MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week went 3-for-4 with four RBI and a walk … Joe Capobianco blasted his first home run as a Spartan … Capobianco was 2-for-4 with three runs scored, three RIB and a walk … Austin Denlinger and Luke Turner each went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in the victory … Jack Barry and Jimmy Wiegers each had a pair of knocks.
Game Two
Hits: York 22, Widener 9
Errors: York 1, Widener 2
2B: York 3, Widener 1
3B: York 1, Widener 0
HR: York 1, Widener 1
WP: Rory Costello (2-0), LP: Liam Nihill (0-1)
How it Happened:
• For the third game in a row, the Spartans failed to score in the first and the Pride got on the board first. Widener got an Anthony Boccio solo home run to right center to take a very earyly 1-0 lead.
• York tied the game in the top of the third on a Jack Barry infield single, knotting the game at one. The Pride recaptured the lead in the bottom of the third to take a very short-lived lead.
• The Spartans blew thee game open in the middle innings as York scored two in the fourth, six more in the fifth and yet another six spot in the sixth as York led 11-2 after six completed innings.
• Wiegers tied the game for the Spartans with an RBI single in the fourth. Later in the inning Austin Denlinger smoked a two-run triple to right for the 5-2 Spartan lead.
• Barry added to his RBI total in the fifth with a home run to right center, his fourth home run of the year. Luke Turner had another big blow in the inning, a two run single to left field.
• The sixth saw the Spartans take advantage of the Widener pitchers having trouble finding the strike zone. Craig Wiley walked to kick off the scoring in the frame. Joey Ricciardi lashed a two-run double to right center. Turner then had another two run single as the Spartan offense kept rolling. Capobianco had another RBI on a single through the left side.
• York closed out the scoring with two more runs in the ninth. Kyle Germann started the scoring in the inning with an RBI single to center. Freshman Garrett Kile picked up his first collegiate hit with an RBI single to left as York ended the game by outscoring Widener 18-1 after the first inning.
Top Spartan Performers
Senior Rory Costello was very good in his second start of the year as Costello tossed seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits with a strikeout and a walk … Donovan Oakes made his season debut and tossed a scoreless eighth … freshman Ethan Kennedy pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts in his collegiate debut … Luke Turner led the offense as he was 2-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored … Austin Denlinger added two hits and two RBI … Jack Barry added two hits and two RBI as he now has 103 for his career while his home run was his 20th of his career … Joe Capobianco, Jimmy Wiegers, Jayden Cowan, and Brett DeWees each contributed two hits to the win.
Spartan Notes
The 8-0 start bests the 7-1 start from the 1973 Spartans and the 2005 Spartans who also started 7-1 … York improves to 6-1 all-time against Widener as the Spartans have won six straight in the series … the Spartan offense kept on rolling as they reached double figure in scoring for the fourth and fifth time during the doubleheader … York had a season-hig 22 hits in the nightcap … York hit another home run as the Spartans now have six games in which they have homered as Jack Barry and Joe Capobianco did the honors … Barry now has a conference-leading four homer runs in eight games … York has outscored their opponents 97-24 in eight games while they have also outhit their opponents 113-64 … York has outdoubled their opponents 26-8 and outhomered them 8-4 … York stole five base on Saturday with two in the opener and three in game two … York has stolen bases on nine straight attempts … the Spartans allowed 19 hits in the two games, the most they have surrendered all season … the Spartan pitching staff has a 2.57 ERA in 63 innings of work … York has struck out 58 and walked just 25 … Jayden Cowan and Jack Barry continue to lead the Spartans in RBI as they each have 15 … every Spartan starter has at lead five RBI … York has five triples on the year with Austin Denlinger owning two of those … Denlinger has 15 hits with nine of those hits being for extra bases … Denlinger's 28 total bases leads the team.
Up Next
The Spartans return home to Jaquet Field on Sunday afternoon for the final two games of the four-game Commonwealth set against Widener. First pitch for game one is set for 12:00 pm.