ATLANTA, GA – The York College baseball squad dropped a 5-4 decision to Denison University in 10 innings on Saturday afternoon during the second day of the Rawlings Southern Classic in Atlanta, Georgia. The Spartans, who downed the Big Red 13-4 on Friday, fall to 1-2 overall while Denison picks up its first win of the season as they are now 1-2.
The Big Red reached Spartan starter Tommy Moran for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first after the Spartans had left the bases loaded in the top of the frame. Moran didn't help himself in the inning with two walks and a pair of wild pitches.
Denison increased its lead to 4-0 with two more runs in the bottom of the third. The Big Red got its third run on a squeeze play while their fourth run in the game came on a RBI double.
The Spartans finally got on the board in the top of the fourth on a Devin Harbold RBI ground out as York trimmed the deficit to three.
The Green and White tied the game in the top of the sixth. Senior CT Stanley started the uprising by getting hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. He scored when fellow senior Joe Doyle ripped a triple down into the right field corner. Doyle scored when senior Rob Klinck singled to right center. Klinck eventually came around to score when Dustin Worthman singled up the middle, tying the game at four.
The Spartans had a chance to break the tie in the seventh as Justin Cohen doubled but then was unable to score on a Doyle single through the left side. The Spartans would leave both runners stranded.
Denison had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth as they had runners on second and third with two outs but Spartan reliever Josh Kohn got a fly out to center to end the threat.
The Spartans went quietly in the top of the tenth but the Big Red did not as they won the game on a Josh Butler RBI single with two outs in the frame.
Chris Fries earned the win in relief for the Big Red as he allowed just two hits in his 3.1 innings of relief. He improves to 1-0 with the win. Fries struck out two and did not walk a batter in his relief stint. David Holmes started for Denison and allowed four runs on 10 hits with a walk and two strikeouts in his 6.2 innings of work.
Freshman Bryan Palumbo suffered the loss as he allowed a run on three hits in his 0.2 innings of work. Moran finished the game allowing four runs on seven hits with three walks, a strikeout and four wild pitches in his 6.0 innings of action. Junior Brandon Ullom was outstanding in relief of Moran as he tossed two innings, allowing just one base hit with one strikeout. Kohn did not allow a run on two hits with a walk in his one inning of action.
Tim Duxbury led Denison with three hits and two RBI while Andrew Mahle was 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Butler added two hits including his game-winner.
Worthman led the Spartan offense with three hits while he had one RBI. Junior Steve Tretter, Doyle, and Klinck each had two hits for York.
The Spartans conclude their trip to Atlanta on Sunday morning at 10:30 am when they face the host Eagles from Emory.