CHESTER, PA – The York College baseball squad opened the weekend series against the Widener University Pride with an 8-6 loss in Chester, PA on Saturday.
The loss is the second straight for York as they dropped two straight for the second time this year. The Pride has won three of their last four games.
The Spartans are now 15-6 overall and 7-3 in the league while the Pride are now 9-13 overall and 5-5 in the league.
 
Runs: York 6 – Widener 8
Hits: York 10; Widener 10
Errors: York 2; Widener 3
LOB: York 11; Widener 3
WP: Trae Sanders (3-1); LP: Brandon Purdy (3-3); Save: Ethan Lytle (3)
 
How It Happened
• The Pride jumped on top of the Spartans with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Alex Savkov opened the inning with a walk. After a strikeout, he stole second and scored on a Jack Balcer double to right. After Balcer moved to third on a ground out, he scored on a Hayden O'Neill RBI single to right for the 2-0 Widener lead.
• Widener expanded the lead in the bottom of the third. Nick Barez started the uprising with a single to left. He scored when Balcer tripled to right. After a ground out, Balcer scored on an O'Neill RBI single to left. The Spartans went to the bullpen and freshman Dillon Michaloski got out of the inning without any further damage.
• York finally got on the board in the fourth as Chris Betler drew a two-out walk. Andrew Santarpia singled to left to move Betler to second. Betler then came around to score on a Connor Pickle double to left center. The Spartans left runners at second and third to end the inning.
• Widener pushed the lead to 6-1 as Savkov led off the inning with a single to right. He stole second and moved to third on a Barenz single to right. Savkovd stole second and scored on a Spartan error for the first run of the inning. Barenz stole third and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Pride a five-run lead.
• The Spartan offense finally started to click in the sixth as Betler walked again. He moved to second on another Santarpia single. Pickle walked to load the bases and Matthew Wade drove in a run with the bases loaded walk. The Pride went to the pen but their reliever walked Luke Moser to make it 6-3. The Spartans banged into a double play to short circuit the rally as York left another two runners on base.
• The Pride answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth on a hit, a walk and an error.
• York chipped away at the Widener lead with a two run seventh inning. Robby Elzinga reached on an error and moved to second on a Michael Tinneny infield single. The Spartans loaded the bases on a Betler single to right. Santarpia reached on an error to score Elzinga with York's fourth run. Pickle then had a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Tinneny to cut the Widener lead to 8-5.
• York further cut into the Widener lead as Lucas Prendergast singled with one out in the eighth. Gabe Trevena doubled to right to put Spartans at second and third. Elzinga scored Prendergast with a sacrifice fly but York would be unable to make it a bigger inning as they left another two runners on base. The Spartans wouldn't be able to get anything going in the ninth as they dropped their second straight.
 
Spartan Offensive Leaders
Chris Betler: 2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 BB, 2B
Lucas Prendergast: 2-for-5, 1 run, 2B
Gabe Trevena: 2-for-5, 2B
Andrew Santarpia: 2-for-5, 1 run, 1 RBI
Connor Pickle: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, BB, 2B, SF
 
Spartan Pitching
Brandon Purdy: 2.1 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 ER, 1 K, 1 BB (Loss, 3-3)
Dillon Michaloski: 3.1 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs, 0 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, WP, HB
Eric Chaney: 2.1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 K, 1 BB
 
Spartan Notes
York is now 10-5 all-time in the series against Widener as the Pride have won two straight in the series … after a run of four straight games in double figures in runs, York has be held to single digits in their last three games … York did reach double figures in hits for the 15^th time this year with their 10 knocks … York had four doubles among their ten hits … York was hit by another two pitches as they have worn it 36 times this year … York had two sacrifice flies as they now have 10 for the year … the Spartans stranded 11 runners, the fourth time this year they have left double figures on base … they are now 3-1 when stranding double figures on base … the Spartan pitchers allowed double figures in hits in the second straight game and the sixth time this year and York is 2-4 when that happens … York allowed just their fifth and sixth runs in the first inning as they still hold a 23-6 advantage in the first inning of games … the only inning York has been outscored for the year is the fifth as opponents are holding a 18-13 edge in that inning … York is now 2-5 when allowing more than six runs in a game … York is 1-3 when an opponent scores in the first inning and 4-5 when their opponent scores first … Chris Betler had his team-leading 13^th multi-hit game of the year while Lucas Prendergast had his tenth, Gabe Trevena recorded his seventh and Andrew Santarpia notched his eighth … Michael Tinneny extended his current hit streak to eight games while Prendergast extended his streak to seven games … Connor Pickle recorded his third multi-RBI game of the year … Prendergast extended his reached base safely streak to 11 games while Betler's streak reached ten.
 
Up Next
The teams conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader on Sunday in York. The seven inning game one is set for a 12:00 pm first pitch followed by the nine inning game 20 minutes later. The two games kick off a five-game Spartan home stand.