GRANTHAM, PA – The York College baseball team completed a four-game sweep against the Messiah University Falcons with a pair of wins on a breezy Sunday in Grantham, PA. The Spartans captured wins in two totally different ways as they won 8-1 in the opener and then were forced to come-from-behind in the nightcap, seizing a 7-6 win.

The Spartans are now 6-0 for the first time since the 1973 squad managed the feat under legendary head coach Jack Jaquet. The 1973 team dropped their seventh game but went on to win four in a row to begin the season 10-1. The Spartans' 1989 team was undefeated through six games as they were 5-0-1.

Game One

Hits: York 11, Messiah 3

Errors: York 2, Messiah 3

2B: York 1, Messiah 0

3B: York 0, Messiah 0

HR: York 1, Messiah 0

WP: Robert Chaney (1-0), LP: Kenny Runkel (0-1)

How It Happened:

• The Spartans opened the game the same way they have their previous four contests by scoring in the opening frame. Brandon White singled with one out and then stole second. After a strikeout, Jack Barry singled up the middle to put York up 1-0. Joe Capobianco reached on an infield single and Jimmy Wiegers walked to load the bases with two outs. Jayden Cowan came up with another big hit as he singled home Barry and Capobianco for the 3-0 Spartan lead.

• York doubled their lead in the third as Austin Denlinger walked and strolled home on a Barry blast to right. Capobianco doubled down the left field line and scored when Cowan singled down the right field line to put York up 6-0.

• The Falcons broke up the shutout with an unearned run off Spartan starter Robert Chaney in the fourth. It was the only blemish on an impressive outing for the left hander.

• The Spartans closed out the scoring with single runs in the fifth and the seventh. York's run in the fifth came on a Wiegers' RBI single. The run in the seventh came on a Brian Jakubek RBI single through the left side of the infield.

Top Spartan Performers

Senior lefty Robert Chaney was outstanding in picking up his first win of the year … Chaney tossed six innings, allowing the one unearned run on two hits with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks … Jack Barry and Jayden Cowan each had big games at the plate … Barry went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored while he hammered his third home run of the year … Cowan was 2-for-4 with three RBI … second baseman Joe Capobianco had a career-high three hits while he also scored a pair of runs for York … Jimmy Wiegers added a hit, an RBI and a run scored … sophomore Zach Reed threw a strong seventh inning as he struck out the side for the Spartans … Reed now has six strikeouts in three innings of work.

Game Two

Hits: York 12, Messiah 12

Errors: York 2, Messiah 1

2B: York 4, Messiah 2

3B: York 1, Messiah 0

HR: York 0, Messiah 0

WP: Steven Hendrix (1-0), LP: Luke Luckenbaugh (0-1), Save: Conor Miller (2)

How It Happened:

• For the first time all year, the Spartans failed to score in the first inning. Not only did the Spartans fail to score, Messiah senior left hander Trent Culver retired 15 straight Spartans to start the game as he was perfect through five innings.

• Messiah took a lead for the first time all weekend in the bottom of the fifth as they reached Spartan starter Josh Mann for three runs in the frame. The Falcons got their three runs on three hits, two walks and a hit batter.

• York broke up the perfect game in the top of the sixth thanks to a Jayden Cowan single to center. That hit broke the seal for the Spartans as York would get four runs off Culver in the inning. Craig Wiley had the first RBI with a ground out to third to get York on the board. Brandon White then launched a two-run triple to left and he scored when Austin Denlinger doubled him home as York took a 4-3 lead.

• The Falcons responded with two runs on three hits with a Spartan error in the bottom of the sixth. Derek Freed tied the game with a ground out and Culver plated the Falcons' fifth run of the game on an RBI single to left.

• After a quiet seventh inning, the teams traded runs in the eighth as Messiah took a 6-5 lead heading to the ninth.

• The top of the ninth started with freshman Brett DeWees singling up the middle to begin the comeback. Pinch runner Brian Jakubek advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a Sal D'Onofrio infield single to second. Jakubek tied the game on a wild pitch with Wiley at the plate. The Spartans eventually loaded the bases with one out, bringing sophomore Robby Elzinga to the plate as a pinch hitter. Elzinga got up in the count 3-1 before fouling a ball off down the line. He fought off the next pitch for an infield single, scoring D'Onofrio as the Spartans took the lead, 7-6. York couldn't push across an insurance run as reliever Luke Luckenbaugh got a pair of groundouts back to him to end the Spartan threat.

• York turned to closer Conor Miller to close it out despite Miller throwing 2.1 innings in the game-two win on Saturday in York. Miller surrendered a single to open up the inning. He then got a spectacular play from Cowan in centerfield for out number one. Miller walked pinch hitter Billy Davis but then got back-to-back strikeouts to earn his second save of the campaign.  

Top Spartan Performers

• Senior Brandon White went 2-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored and his first triple of the year … Austin Denlinger, Brett DeWees, and Sal D'Onofrio each added two hits to the Spartan attack … D'Onfrio scored two runs for York … Josh Mann made the start as he tossed 4.2 innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs in addition to four strikeouts and two walks … Junior Steven Hendrix earned his first career win in relief as he tossed two innings, allowing one run on one hit with two strikeouts and one walk … Conor Miller earned his second save of the season and sixth of his career.

Notes

With the weekend sweep of the Falcons, York is now 47-9 all-time against Messiah … York has reached double figures in hits in all six games as they had 11 in the opener and 12 in the nightcap … all 12 game two hits came in the final four innings of play … York stole a season-best four bases in the opener after only having one stolen base in the first four games of the year … after drawing 14 walks in the two Saturday games against Messiah, the Spartans earned just five walks in the two games on Sunday … the Spartan pitching staff limited Messiah to a season-low three hits in the opener … the Spartans have now allowed two runs or less in four games as the staff ERA is at 2.68 through six games ... the Spartans trailed for the first time in 42 innings when Messiah plated three runs in the fifth inning of game two ... York had led in 37 straight innings to start the year. 

Up Next

The Spartans return to action on Saturday when they head to Widener for a doubleheader against the Pride to start a four-game set. Game one is set for a 12:00 pm start in Chester, PA. The Pride enters the game with a mark of 3-1. It will be the Commonwealth opener for Widener.