FROSTBURG, MD – The York College Spartans received some late game heroics to keep their win streak alive as the Green and White captured a 7-6 Capital Athletic Conference 10-inning win at Frostburg State University on Tuesday afternoon.
The Spartan win streak is now at nine as York improves to 12-2 overall while they remain perfect in the CAC at 8-0. With the loss, Frostburg State falls to 15-5 overall and 5-3 in the league.
The Bobcats reached Spartan starter Elliot Mortimer (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) for a run in the first and one more in the fifth as Frostburg State led 2-0 heading to the top of the eighth inning. That's when the Spartan offense got rolling.
Junior J.J. Oleniacz (Great Falls, Va./Langley) opened the uprising with a one-out single to right. Senior Andrew Hershey (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) was then hit by the pitch to put Spartans at first and second. Senior Brad Wenzel (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood Area) lined a single up the middle to score Oleniacz and get the Spartans on the board. After a Frostburg State pitching change, senior Colbe Herr (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) blasted a three-run homer to dead center as the Spartans took a 4-2 lead. After a strikeout, Derek Pitzer (York, Pa./Dallastown) stroked an opposite field home run to left to complete the Spartan uprising.
The Bobcats got a run back on a Kevin Kean RBI double to center in the bottom of the eight as the Spartan lead stood at 5-3 through eight innings of action.
York tacked on an important run in the top of the ninth courtesy of a Hershey RBI double to left center.
That run would prove to be huge in the bottom of the ninth as the Bobcats plated three runs to tie the game. Frostburg State had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth as they had the bases loaded and one out. However reliever Stephen Miele (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) got a strikeout and a fielder's choice to force extra innings.
In the top of the tenth, freshman Logan Countryman (Baltimore, Md./Loch Raven) singled, stole second and moved to third on an error with two outs. Senior Colin Porter (Hanover, Pa./South Western) plated Countryman with an infield single as the Spartans took the 7-6 lead.
Senior Tyler Alexander (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) came on to pitch the tenth for York. He allowed a walk and a single before getting a line drive double play for the first two outs. Herr ended the game by throwing out Brandon Remalia at second as the Bobcats' right fielder was attempting to swipe second base.
Miele earned the win in relief as he allowed one hit in his one scoreless inning of work. He improves to 3-1 overall. Alexander earned the save as he allowed one hit with a walk in his one inning of work. Mortimer gave York a very strong start as he allowed two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks in seven innings of work.
Rob Warwick suffered the loss for the Bobcats as he allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk in his one inning stint. He is now 0-1 for the year. Kenny Georgius made the start and was brilliant for the Bobcats as he threw seven shutout innings, scattering three hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
The Frostburg bullpen allowed seven runs on eight hits as the Spartans notched the comeback win.
Wenzel led the Spartan offense, as he was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Herr launched his second home run of the year for three RBI. Pitzer added his first round tripper of the year.
Ricky Castro, Kean, and Remalia each banged out three hits to lead the Bobcats. Castro scored a run and drove in another. Kean was 3-for-5 with two RBI while Remalia scored a run for Frostburg State. Second baseman Zach Weiss contributed two hits, two runs scored and an RBI.
Today's game starts a stretch of challenging stretch of 14 games in 13 days for the Spartans. York returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Penn State Harrisburg to face the Lions in a CAC contest. First pitch from Middletown is set for 4:00 pm.