LYNCHBURG, VA – The York College baseball squad opened their 2013 with a doubleheader split at Lynchburg College on Sunday afternoon in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Spartans won the opener 7-4 before the Hornets bounced back to post a 3-0 shutout in the nightcap.
The Spartans are now 1-1 while the Hornets stand at 4-4 for the campaign.
Game one was a strong showing for the Spartan offense as the York bats backed sophomore ace Dan Gurganus (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) for the victory. York opened the scoring on a pair of sacrifice flies from Andrew Hershey (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) and Derek Pitzer (York, Pa./Dallastown) as the Spartans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third.
York pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fourth as Dustin Worthman (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) had a two-out RBI single and Colin Porter (Hanover, Pa./South Western) scored on a balk. The Hornets got to Gurganus for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run double from Dan Savage, drawing the Hornets to within two at 4-2.
The Spartan offense dented the plate three more times in the sixth highlighted by an RBI double to right from Colbe Herr (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin), an RBI single to center by Porter and a wild pitch that scored Porter later in the inning. It could have been worse for the Hornets as the Spartans left the sacks packed in the frame.
The Hornets got an unearned run in the sixth and another unearned run in the seventh before Josh Miller (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) entered the game and threw the final three innings for the Spartans as he kept the Hornets off the board.
Gurganus earned the win as he allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks. He scattered seven hits in picking up his first victory of the year. Miller tossed the final three innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts and a walk in picking up the save.
Brandon Miller suffered the loss for the Hornets as he threw five innings, allowing six runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Dylan Ward threw the sixth inning for the Hornets and allowed a run on four hits. Charlie Thieringer came into the game in the seventh and proceeded to throw three perfect innings for Lynchburg.
Worthman led the Spartans, as he was 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored from the leadoff spot for the Spartans. Herr banged out a career-high three hits while he scored twice and drove in another. Porter finished the game 2-for-3 with a career-high three runs scored and an RBI.
Michael Kenah and Brock Shiflett each had two hits to pace the Hornets. Shiflett scored twice with an RBI while Kenah scored once for Lynchburg. Savage drove in two of the Hornets' four runs.
The story of the nightcap was the performance of Lynchburg starter Martin Henderlite as he twirled a two-hit shutout of the Spartans. Henderlite struck out nine and walked two as he handcuffed the Spartans all game long.
Lynchburg got to Spartan starter David Walker (Hanover, Pa./South Western) for two runs after the first two outs were recorded in the bottom of the first inning. Kenah singled to left and scored when Shiflett ripped a triple to right center. Walker then threw a wild pitch, allowing Shiflett to score the second run of the frame.
With Henderlite having a two-run advantage, he challenged the Spartan hitters. York had runners on first and second in the third but the uprising came with two outs and was quickly extinguished with a fly out to center. Henderlite ended the game by retiring 16 straight Spartans, as York couldn't get on track against the Hornets' big sophomore right-hander.
Ashton Paige led the Hornets with two hits and an RBI. Shiflett finished the game 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Hershey and Adam Bartholomew (Haddonfield, N.J./Bishop Eustace) notched the two York hits. Hershey had a single to right in the third and Bartholomew singled to center before being nabbed trying to steal second in the fourth. He was the last Spartan to reach base against Henderlite.
Walker suffered the loss as he allowed two runs on six hits with four strikeouts in four innings. Freshman Brad Wenzel (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood Area) allowed a run on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk in his four-inning stint.
The Spartans return to action on Friday, March 1 when they travel to Richard Stockton for a non-conference contest