YORK, PA – The York College baseball team remained red hot as they swept Messiah University on Saturday in the Spartans' MAC Commonwealth opener. York won the opener 16-2 and completed the sweep with a 14-7 win in the nightcap. The games were the first conference games for the Spartans as members of the MAC.
York's 4-0 start is the first 4-0 start since 2005. York has outscored their four opponents 52-12 as the Spartans are averaging 13 runs per game and have only been held under double digits in one game, Wednesday's 7-1 road win at Lebanon Valley.
Game One
Hits: York 15, Messiah 5
Errors: York 2, Messiah 3
2B: York 5, Messiah 1
3B: York 2, Messiah 0
HR: York 0, Messiah 1
WP: Brandon Haggerty (2-0), LP: Alex Weakland (0-1)
How It Happened:
• The Spartans continued their trend of getting on the board early as they recorded their 13th first inning run of the season. Austin Denlinger got the rally started with a two-out double down the left field line. He scored on a three-base error by the Falcons' center fielder as Denlinger scored and York led 1-0.
• York kept rolling in the second. The inning started with another Falcon error and Jimmy Wiegers followed with a double to centerfield, moving Joe Capobianco to third. Jayden Cowan stayed hot with a double to center, scoring Capobianco and Wiegers for the 3-0 Spartan lead. After a strikeout, Craig Wiley laced a triple to right that eluded the Falcon right fielder, pushing the York lead to 4-0. After another strikeout, Denlinger ripped another double, this one to center, to push the York lead to 5-0.
• The Green and White blew the game open in the third with a six-run frame. Wiegers had a two-run single to start the scoring. Brian Jakubek singled home another run. Deningler kept rolling with a two-run triple to right center and then scored on wild pitch as the Spartans led 11-0.
• York extended their lead to 12-0 in the fourth when Brandon White drew a bases loaded walk.
• The Falcons nicked Spartan starter Brandon Haggerty for an unearned run in the fifth to cut York's lead to 12-1. York responded with a single run in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the sixth before the Falcons got a solo home run in the top of the seventh to close out the scoring.
Top Spartan Performers
• Senior lefty Brandon Haggerty was again great in his second outing of the year as he tossed five strong innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with six strikeouts and a walk … Haggerty recorded his 100th career strikeout in the second when he got Clayton Roberts on strikes … Austin Denlinger went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored … Denlinger had a pair of doubles and a triple for this three hits in the win … Craig Wiley, Jimmy Wiegers, and Jayden Cowan each had two hits in the win … Wiegers added three runs scored and drove in two others.
Game Two
Hits: York 11, Messiah 11
Errors: York 1, Messiah 2
2B: York 1, Messiah 1
3B: York 0, Messiah 0
HR: York 2, Messiah 2
WP: Rory Costello (1-0), LP: Christian Woodie (0-1)
How It Happened:
• After the Spartans turned an impressive double play on a popped up bunt in the top of the first, York struck for a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Brandon White struck out in the frame but advanced to first when a dropped third strike got thrown into his leg as he reached first safely. Austin Denlinger then made the error a painful one as he stroked a two-run blast to right to give York the quick 2-0 lead.
• After a quiet second inning, the Spartan offense erupted again in the third. The Spartans loaded the bases with two outs bringing senior slugger Jack Barry to the plate. He hit a fly ball to center that eluded centerfielder Clayton Roberts for a three-run single, giving York a 5-0 lead. The Spartans reloaded the bases for Jayden Cowan who singled to center for two more runs as the lead grew to 7-0.
• The teams traded runs in the fourth inning. York got their two runs on a Joe Capobianco two-run single to left as the York lead was 9-2 after four innings of play.
• Things got a little interesting in the top of the sixth as the Falcons struck for four runs, cutting the York lead to three. Spartan head coach Mike Scappa went to the pen to bring in closer Conor Miller. The Falcons had the bases loaded when Miller came in but the senior induced soft contact as Dylan Symonds hit a ball to third where Craig Wiley made the play to end the inning.
• York got a pair back in the bottom of the inning as Barry continued his big game with a two-run homer to deep center. The ball carried out of the park for Barry's second dinger of the year.
• Messiah got a solo home run from Billy Davis to lead off the seventh but the Spartans put the game away with three more runs in the bottom of the frame. Brandon White started the scoring with an RBI single to left. Brendan Martin plated the second run of the inning as he drew a bases loaded walk. Barry put a cherry on his big day with a sacrifice fly to center.
Top Spartan Performers
• Senior Jack Barry had a career-high six RBIs in the game as he went 2-for-3 with two runs scored … fellow senior Brandon White went 2-for-3 with four runs scored and an RBI as he also drew a pair of walks … Joe Capobianco went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored … Jayden Cowan had a pair of RBI … Austin Denlinger drilled his first home run of the year in the first while he also had two rocket outs to center as he went 1-for-4 … Rory Costello got the win as he tossed 5.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits with two walks and a strikeout … Conor Miller picked up his first save of the year in his 2.1 innings of action.
Notes
The Spartans have had double figures in hits in all four games … York had five doubles in game one and one in game two as they now have 16 for the year … York's two triples in game one was a season high … York walked seven times in each game … the Spartans allowed a season-high 14 hits in game two while Messiah's seven runs was also a season high … York turned a season-high three double plays in game two … York surrendered their first stolen base in game two … Junior Austin Denlinger had four extra base hits for the day as he is now slugging 1.063 for the year with four doubles, a triple and a home run among his eight hits … Denlinger also has six runs scored and six RBI … senior Jack Barry leads the squad with 10 RBI in four games as he also lead the team in home runs with two … Barry leads the MAC Commonwealth in runs scored (8), and is tied for the league lead in RBI … Senior Brandon Haggerty has now thrown seven innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and a walk ... York has scored 15 runs in their four first innings this year.
Up Next
The Spartans will head to Grantham, PA to face the Falcons on their home turf on Sunday at noon for games three and four of the series.